Avatar Book 1: Water- Begin Anew
by VruezZ
Summary: Kija has made mistakes. When she wakes up in a changed world, she has a chance to set things right. She can make a new impression. She can begin anew.
1. Chapter 1: The Girl In The Iceberg

**A/N: This is my first (posted) story. Fun times, yeah. So... read? Review? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA. Not even a little bit.**

Chapter One: The Girl In The Iceberg 

The arctic air howled through the icy glaciers, the dark, chilling waters silent and unmoving. A canoe of animal skins and bones drifted lazily along in the current.

Sokka stared at the glassy water, and narrowed his pastel blue eyes. "It's not getting away from me this time," he vowed determinedly, his gaze following the movements of a silvery fish as it weaved around the small chunks of ice littering the calm sea.

"Watch and learn, Katara," Sokka raised an eyebrow and smirked in his sister's direction. He focused his gaze back on the crystal clear ocean and raised his spear. "This is how you catch a fish."

Katara glanced dismissively at her older brother. She quickly leaned over the side of the canoe as a silver gleam caught her eye. The fish was swimming out from under the canoe, leisurely swaying from side to side as it moved. Katara tentatively removed one of her blue, warm mittens. She winced uncertainly as she began to move her hand in a gentle up-and-down movement. The fish rose up into the air, encased in a bubble of water.

Katara raised her other hand and continued the bending move, calling excitedly over her shoulder, "Sokka! I caught one!" Sokka didn't move, whispering back, "Shh, Katara you're gonna scare it away!" He licked his lips in anticipation. "Mmm... I can already smell it cooking." The girl persisted, "but Sokka, I caught one!" She gingerly tried to set the fish down in a woven basket on the center of the canoe. Sokka moved slightly and the butt of his spear collided with the sphere of water. "Hey!" He was drenched in ice-cold liquid as the fish flopped unceremoniously back into the sea.

Sokka turned to glare at Katara, placing down his spear on the bench of the canoe. "Why is it that every time, YOU play with magic water, I get soaked?" He grumbled. Katara replied, slightly irritated. "It's not magic, it's waterbending. And it's-" Sokka waved a hand at her dismissively. "Yeah yeah, an ancient art unique to our culture, blah blah blah..." He turned around and shrugged. "I'm just saying, if I were you, I'd keep my weirdness to myself." Katara smirked and replied teasingly, "You're calling me weird? I'm not the one who makes muscles at myself every time I see my reflection!"

True to her word, Sokka was leaning over the side of the canoe, his parka sleeve rolled up as he flexed. He rolled his sleeve back down and turned to face Katara again, glaring at her.

The siblings were shaken out of their squabble as the canoe slid into the rapids. Sokka grabbed the paddle, desperately trying to steer clear of the dangerous icebergs that looked ever closer, threatening to tear a hole in the hull of the frail canoe. Glaciers bumped into the boat, and Katara yelled fearfully, "watch out!" Her eyes widened as she saw two giant icebergs ahead, the gap between the two shrinking rapidly. "Go left, go left!" Katara panicked. Sokka continued to row forward, and with a sickening crunch, the canoe was snapped in two by the giant glaciers. The siblings were thrown onto a flat iceberg, tumbling to a stop and sitting up groggily.

"You call that left?" Katara said drily, rubbing her head. Sokka glowered at her. "Well maybe you should've waterbended us out of the ice," Sokka mimicked the motion of a wave sarcastically. Katara narrowed her eyes. "Oh, so now it's my fault." Sokka glared back at her as she stood up. "I KNEW I should've left you home. Leave it to a girl to screw things up." A look of rage flashed across Katara's face. She clenched her fists angrily. "You are the most SEXIST, IMMATURE, NUT-BRAINED- I'm EMBARRASSED to be RELATED to you!" She threw her arms up in the air and a jet of water sliced through a large iceberg behind the siblings.

"Ever since Mom died, I've been doing ALL the work around here while you've been off playing soldier!" She yelled, throwing one arm out to the side, another crack lacing through the glacier. Sokka looked up in fear. "Uhh... Katara?" He said worriedly, but Katara was on a roll. "I even wash all of the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Well let me tell you- NOT PLEASANT!" She threw her arms back behind her as she screamed, and another crack snaked through the glacier, as chunks of ice splashed into the water. Sokka's eyes widened. "Katara, calm down!" Sokka yelled, attempting to pacify his sister. Katara glared daggers at him. "No! That's it, I'm done helping you! From now on, you're on your OWN!" A fissure sliced through the heart of the glacier with an echoing crack, as Katara turned around with a gasp.

The chunks of ice fell into the dark ocean, and a wave sent the siblings' glacier flying backwards. Sokka looked sidelong at his sister as the water settled. "Okay, you've gone from weird to freakish, Katara," he remarked drily. She looked in wonder at the place where the iceberg used to be. "You mean I did that?"

Sokka rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, "Yep, congratulations." The siblings were distracted from their banter when the dark water in front of them began to froth and glow a bright blue. Katara and Sokka scrambled to their feet and backed away in fear. Katara stared in awe as a sphere of ice burst out of the churning waters, bobbing on the waves. She took a few tentative steps towards the glacier. Sokka held out a hand to stop her, but she ignored him.

Katara gasped. "There's a girl in there," she said sadly. The girl's eyes opened in an instant, glowing a bright white. Katara'a eyes widened. "She's alive!" She grabbed Sokka's club from behind his back and pulled her hood up, racing towards the edge of the glacier, and jumping onto chunks of ice as she made her way across. "Katara, get back here! We don't know what that thing is," Sokka said cautiously before following his sister, his spear in hand. Katara began to swing the club, burying it in the ice with a grunt, before pulling back and swinging again. She cried out as a gust of air knocked her and Sokka down, and fissures spread through the sphere. The top of the iceberg broke open with a loud rumbling crack, and a beam of blue-white light shone up into the sky.

The gray-black ship sliced through the frozen waves like a knife through butter. A young man stood at the helm, clad in red and gray Fire Nation armor. His head was shaved except for a black ponytail in the back, and one eye was scarred a painful red. He narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the pillar of light.

"Finally..." He turned to a short, pudgy, graying old man seated at a low table. The older man was focused on his game of solitaire. "Uncle, do you realize what this means?!"'the young man said. The older man looked up at him. "I won't get to finish my game?" The teenager turned away from him and scowled. "It means, my search. It's about to come to an end." The young man's uncle sighed and shook his head, placing another tile down calmly. The teenager pointed at the light and snapped, "that light came from an incredibly powerful source," he said angrily as the light began to fade. "It had to be him!" His uncle closed his eyes. "Or, it's just the celestial lights," he said, motioning at the arctic sky. "We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko."

His hand lingered over one column of tiles portraying the elements- the first tile air, the second water. The older man's hand shifted and the tile settled in another column. He gestured at the opposite side of the short table. "Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea," he motioned to an ornate red teapot on the edge of the table, matching teacups littered around it.

The young man named Zuko whirled around angrily. "I don't need any calming tea!" He yelled at his surprised uncle. "I need to capture the Avatar!" He cupped his hands and shouted towards a lone figure on a balcony. "Helmsman! Head a course for the light." Zuko's uncle frowned slightly, placing a fire tile over an earth tile. A gust of wind billowed across the deck of the warship, and the game pieces rattled slightly. 

Sokka sheltered Katara protectively from the gale of wind that erupted from the crooked gap in the ice. He held up his spear defensively, as a shadow moved over the glacier.

A figure appeared, eyes glowing an indescribably bright white, dressed in a yellow tunic and loose-fitting pants, tucked into knee-high, tight brown boots. a dark orange mantle was draped over her shoulders and a matching orange belt was tied around her waist. Blue waves of color above the girl twisted and swayed as if they were alive.

Sokka positioned his spear and called out uncertainly, "Stop!"

The girl's eyes faded to a gray-blue, the color of stormy ocean waters as the lights vanished from the sky, and she tumbled headlong down the icy drop. Katara rushed to catch the girl as she fell from a mountain of snow and ice. Her white-blonde hair billowed out in soft, thick curls. The girl's heart-shaped face, high cheekbones and arched eyebrows made her appear delicate. Her skin was pale, a rosy hue dusting her cheeks.

Sokka's eyes narrowed and he cautiously approached, and began to poke the girl's prone form with the butt of his spear. Katara pushed him away. "Stop it!" exasperation filled her voice.

The girl's eyes fluttered feebly and opened, taking in the world. She looked up at Katara's worried face, as she waited for the mysterious girl to show some sign of good health. The girl coughed shakily, her eyes half-lidded. "I need to ask you something..." She mumbled hoarsely. "What?" Katara asked softly. "Please... Come closer..." She murmured. Katara leaned towards her. The girl's eyes opened fully and she said in a strong voice, "will you go penguin sledding with me?" Katara leaned back in surprise. "Uh... Sure! I guess..."

The girl grinned and quite literally flew to her feet. Sokka leapt back with a yelp, aiming his spear at the girl's face. "What's going on?" She asked as she looked around. "You tell us!" Sokka said loudly. "How'd you get in the ice? And why aren't you frozen?" He began to poke the girl with his spear again, but she pushed it away absentmindedly.

A grunt echoed from behind the wall of snow and ice. The girl's eyes widened and she scrambled up the hill, sliding down the other side. "Appa!" She cried out as she hugged a giant furry animal. The thing's fur was a cream color with a large tan arrow on his head. The girl lifted up his eyelid, trying to wake him, but the creature's bright brown eyes remained unmoving. She leapt down and began to try to lift Appa's head. Sokka and Katara came around the side of the ice, and Sokka's jaw dropped. Appa grunted and licked the girl affectionately. "Appa! You're okay!" She smiled happily. Appa stood up and shook his fur out.

"What is that thing?" Sokka approached Appa warily. "This is Appa, my flying bison," the girl said cheerfully. Sokka scowled. "Right. And this is Katara, my flying sister." Appa growled, and his nose began to twitch. The creature sneezed loudly; green slime covering Sokka from head to toe. He let out a disgusted groan, and frantically tried to get the slime off his parka. "Don't worry, it washes out," the girl said sheepishly. "So, do you guys live around here?" She asked.

Sokka pointed his spear at her neck. "Don't answer that," he ordered Katara. "Did you see that crazy bolt of light? She's probably signaling the Fire Navy!" Katara rolled her eyes and pushed past Sokka, towards the girl. "Oh yeah, I'm sure she's a spy for the Fire Navy. You can tell from the evil look on her eye," Katara said sarcastically. The girl grinned innocently.

Katara motioned one gloved hand to the Water Tribe boy. "The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka," she explained. Sokka raised his hand, giving the stranger a small wave. "You never told us your name," katara continued. The girl smiled again. "I'm K... K... ACHOO!" The delicate girl sneezed loudly and rocketed up in the air. She floated back down and landed daintily, rubbing her nose. "I'm Kija," she said.

Sokka looked at her, an expression of utter disbelief written on his face. "You just sneezed... And flew 10 feet in the air!" Kija frowned. "Really? It felt higher," she commented idly. Katara gasped in realization. "You're an Air-Bender!" She said, her voice barely masking her excitement. Kija nodded proudly. "Sure am!" Sokka shook his head. "Light beams, giant flying bison, Air-Benders..." He turned to walk away. "I think I have Midnight Sun Madness. I'm going home to where stuff makes sense."

Sokka stopped at the edge of the ice, his mouth turning down at the edges. He looked out at a sea of freezing water and ice chunks, with no way back home since the canoe was shattered. Kija shrugged. "Well, if you guys are stuck, I could give you a lift on Appa," she suggested. Kija jumped nimbly onto Appa's back, grabbing the reins and beckoning to Katara and Sokka, patting the saddle invitingly. Katara smiled. "We'd love a ride. Thanks!" She said graciously, running up to the side of the sky bison, where Kija held out a hand to help her up into the saddle.

Sokka crossed his arms. "No way am I going anywhere on that fluffy snot monster," he said stubbornly. Katara sighed in exasperation and scowled at her brother. "Oh really, so you're hoping some other kind of monster is going to come along and give you a ride home? Y'know, before you freeze to death?" Sokka frowned and began to reply, before seeing the sense in her words and sighing dejectedly. He trudged over to the "fluffy snot monster" and climbed clumsily into the saddle, taking a seat next to Katara. He crossed his arms and huffed indignantly. Katara looked in excitement at Kija as she grabbed the reins.

"First time flyers, hold on tight!" She cried out, and flicked the reins. "Appa, yip-yip!" Appa let out a growl, and his tail slapped against the ground. He jumped into the air and landed with a splash in the icy water. "C'mon Appa!" Kija called out encouragingly. "Yip yip!" Appa snorted and began to plow through the ocean waves.

Sokka leaned back in the saddle and rolled his eyes. "Wow," he muttered sarcastically, "that was truly amazing." Kija's smile faltered. Katara turned and gave Sokka a scathing look. Kija sighed. "I-I think he's just tired... A little rest and he'll be soaring through the skies. You'll see!" Her smile reappeared. Sokka groaned. "Ugh..." Appa's tail rose up and splashed back into the dark waters, propelling himself onwards towards the village. 

Zuko stood silently on the ship's uppermost balcony, staring out at the vast landscape of ocean and ice as daylight faded from the sky.

His uncle stood a little ways behind him. "I'm going to bed now," he said. He stretched and let out an exaggerated yawn. "A man needs his rest." He discarded the hints and said plainly, "Prince Zuko, you need to sleep." The younger man didn't reply.

"Even if you are right, and the Avatar is alive, you won't find him!" The man sighed, shaking his head. "Your father, grandfather, even your great-grandfather all tried and failed!" Zuko clenched his fists. "Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture. Mine does," he said determinedly. "This coward's hundred years in hiding are over." 

Twilight had fallen over the trio as they sat quietly, the only noise being Appa plowing through the chilly water.

Katara crawled to the front of the saddle, leaning over the edge to look at Kija, who was relaxing against Appa's furry neck, her arms behind her head. "Hey," she said simply. "Hey," Kija replied. "Whatcha thinking about?" She asked curiously.

Katara shrugged. "Well, I was wondering- with you being an Air-Bender and all, if you had any idea what happened to the Avatar." She looked at Kija hopefully. Kija stared back at her with wide eyes. She shook her head to clear it before replying hastily, "uhhh... No. I didn't know him. I mean, I knew people who knew her- Uh, him, but I didn't. Sorry." Katara looked at her oddly before shrugging and turning around. "Okay. Just curious. Good night!" She called over her shoulder. "Good night..." Kija called back as she curled up against Appa's warm fur, a worried crease in her brow. 

Kija was alone, holding on to Appa's reins as lightning cracked and thunder boomed. Her hair flew into her face as a mixture of wind and rain pelted her relentlessly. She clutched the reins tightly as Appa plummeted down towards the angry, foam capped surf. Water was everywhere, in her nose, her mouth, her lungs. She couldn't tell up from down as she tumbled deeper into the churning ocean. Her hands slipped from the reins as she began to lose consciousness. Suddenly, she was locked in the lotus position as a pocket of air formed around her and Appa. She looked down, the small, intricate tattoos on her hands glowing white. "Kija?" A voice called. 

"Kija!" A hand shook her awake and she gasped. "It's alright, we're in the village now," Katara's voice said comfortingly. "C'mon, everyone's waiting to see you!"

She backed out of the low animal skin tent, looking back to see Kija pulling her Air-Bender uniform on over thin, intricate arrow tattoos. Her eyes widened as she saw matching tattoos on the teenager's legs.

Kija had just barely gotten her boots on and grabbed her staff, the only thing she had besides her clothes, when Katara grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the open. Kija winced, the cold air stinging her flesh.

Katara dragged her stumbling form in front of a crowd of people, all dressed in blue parkas. All of the village inhabitants were women or younger children, she realized, with the exception of Sokka. "Kija, this is the entire village," she said, gesturing towards the small huddle of people. "Entire village: Kija." Kija smiled and clasped her hands around her staff, bowing respectfully.

The tribespeople cowered away from her, pulling their children protectively away from the newcomer. Kija glanced at Katara, confused. "Why are they all looking at me like that? I didn't do anything!" She said defensively. An older woman walked forward, and Kija raised an eyebrow.

The old woman was dressed in an almost purple parka, her face riddled with wrinkles. Her hair was a dingy gray, tied back away from her face. "Relax, young one," she said quietly. "It's just that no one has seen an Air-Bender in a hundred years. We thought they were extinct." Kija raised her head incredulously. "Extinct?"

Katara sighed. "Kija, this is my grandmother." The older woman nodded. "Please, call me Gran-Gran." Kija smiled just as Sokka reached out to grab her staff.

"What is this, a weapon?" He asked. "You can't stab anyone with this!" Kija snatched her staff back and frowned. She bonked Sokka lightly on the head in annoyance. "It's not for stabbing. It's for airbending," she explained. Sokka scowled. "Screw airbending, stabbing is better." Kija raised an eyebrow. "Oh really." Sokka crossed his arms. "Yes really."

Kija grinned wickedly, and took in a big gulp of air. She exhaled forcefully and a blast of wind sent Sokka tumbling backwards, landing against a crudely made snow tower. "Aww, my watchtower!" He grumbled. Sokka stood up, brushing himself off. "Fine. You win this round," he said to Kija, pouting in defeat. Kija smirked. "Now, watch this!" She sent a small current of air through the holes in her staff, causing it to unfold into a glider.

"Magic trick, do it again!" A little girl cried out. Kija smiled kindly. "Not magic, airbending!" She explained. "It lets me control the air currents around my glider and fly!"

Sokka sulked near his watchtower, and took an opportunity to chip in drily, "you know, last time I checked, humans can't fly." Kija flashed him a daredevil grin. "Check again," she said as her hands gripped the supports of her glider. She jumped up, her feet sliding through the wooden braces at the rear of the glider as she soared through the air.

Amazed gasps sounded from the villagers. Kija winced as her hand slipped from the wooden bar, and she fell to the ground. A cushion of air prevented her from injuring herself, and she reached up, catching her glider deftly in her hand.

"Well, that was a little rocky," she shrugged apologetically. Katara looked at her with wide eyes. "What do you mean? That was amazing!" sh said excitedly. Sokka crossed his arms and stuck out his lip like a little kid. "Great. You're an Air-Bender, Katara's a Water-Bender, you two can just waste time all day long."

Kija looked at Katara in surprise. "You're a Water-Bender?" Katara shrugged sheepishly. "Uh... Sort of. Not yet."

Her grandmother's voice sounded from over her shoulder. "Alright, no more playing. Come on Katara, you have chores." She walked over to her grandmother, shooting an apologetic glance over her shoulder at Kija. 

Zuko stood on the gray deck of the ship, dressed in armor, sparring two firebending guards.

"Again," his uncle ordered from the sidelines. Zuko narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, twin jets of flame flaring from his fists. He bent down, avoiding a fireball from one of his sparring opponents and twisted around, a high axe kick sending an arc of flame rolling towards the guard. He stopped with both his fists extended, waiting for the guards to make a move.

His uncle sighed. "No! Power in firebending comes from the breath! Not the muscles! The breath becomes energy. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire!" He thrust his hand forward, a tongue of flame flickering inches from Zuko's scarred face. He didn't flinch. The older man clasped his hands in front of him. "Get it right this time."

A scowl formed on the young prince's face. "Enough," he commanded. "I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set. I'm more than ready." His older uncle didn't falter. "No. You are impatient. You have yet to master your basics! Drill it again!"

Zuko's hands clenched into fists and he snarled, twisting around and using a powerful side kick to send a ball of flame spinning towards a guard, knocking him over. He turned back around. "The Sages tell us that the Avatar is the last Air-Bender. He must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master all the elements. I'll need more than the basics of firebending to defeat him! You WILL teach me the advanced set!" Zuko's face was contorted into a mask of rage.

His uncle nodded. "Very well." His expression changed and a smile spread across his face. "But first, I must finish my roast duck!" He reached underneath the low stool he was sitting on and pulled out a bowl and some chopsticks. Without another word, he began to devour the roast duck with vigor. Zuko looked at his uncle, bewildered. 

"Now men," Sokka said, pacing back and forth. "It's important that you show no fear when facing a Fire-Bender. Because in the Southern Water Tribe, we fight till the last man standing. For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?" Sokka finished his speech, and looked to see a group of bored faces from the little boys of the tribe.

Kija raised her hand casually. Sokka scowled. "Kija, you're not even a tribe member, much less a warrior." Kija looked at Sokka innocently. "I just wanted to say they might find it more fun if you gave a demonstration." Sokka rolled his eyes. "No one here knows how to fight except me. That's the point of this warrior training."

Kija stood up and stretched, hiding a grin. "I know how to fight," she suggested. Sokka rolled his eyes. "Your little air magic doesn't count," he wiggled his fingers, imitating airbending. Kija scowled back."you don't airbend like that," she said, annoyed. "And I wasn't talking about my 'air magic' I was talking about weapon or hand to hand combat."

Sokka looked slightly surprised. "You know how to fight? Well, that's a first." Kija walked up to him, the snow crunching under her feet. "Well, get in your stance..." She waited as Sokka moved his feet around, finally settling into a comfortable position.

"You won't have time to do that in a real fight," Kija said as she smoothly knocked Sokka's legs out from under him with a clean right sweep. She relaxed, and waited for Sokka to get back up. Kija turned as a voice sounded from behind her. "Kija! There you are!"

Sokka clambered to his feet, grumbling. He turned to Katara indignantly. "Katara, get her out of here! This lesson is for warriors only." Kija smirked. "You're just mad cause I beat you," she stuck her tongue out at the water Tribe boy.

"C'mon guys! Lets go play some games!" She called out to the bored little kids. They began to grin, and one by one they stood up and began to run haphazardly out into the snow.

"Stop it! Stop it right now!" Sokka yelled. He glared at Kija. "What's wrong with you? We don't have time for games with a war going on!" Kija frowned. "War? What war?" Sokka stared at her in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"

Kija suddenly looked over Sokka's shoulder, and her eyes widened. "PENGUIN!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, before racing towards the black and white animal, who was unaware of a certain overly energetic teenager until she was running full-pelt towards the small animal.

Sokka groaned. "She's kidding... Right?" He said to Katara as Kija disappeared over a hill. 

Katara found the young Air-Bender girl lying in the snow, penguins waddling around her. She sat up, lunging for one of the small creatures. It evaded her grasp easily. "Hey, c'mon! Don't you wanna to sledding?"

Kija fell into the snow dejectedly, putting her head in her hands. Katara walked up to the younger girl and smiled. "Kija, I'll help you catch a penguin if you teach me waterbending." Kija brightened immediately. "You got a deal!" Kija said excitedly. A crease appeared in her brow. "There's only one problem. I'm an Air-Bender. Not a Water-Bender. Isn't there someone in your tribe who can teach you?" Katara hung her head sadly and turned away. "No... You're looking at the only Water-Bender in the whole South Pole,"

Kija frowned. "This isn't right... A Water-Bender needs to master water... What about the North Pole?" Katara sighed. "Maybe... But we haven't had contact with our sister tribe in a long time. It's not exactly 'turn right at the second glacier.' It's on the other side of the world." Kija replied happily, a small smile on her face, "but you forget. I have a flying bison! Appa and I could personally fly you to the North Pole! Katara, we're gonna find you a master!"

Katara looked down and kicked the snow around absentmindedly. "That's... I mean, I don't know. I've never been far from home before." Kija placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "That's okay. You think about it. In the meantime, can you teach me how to catch one of these penguins?"

Katara looked up at the girl and smiled brightly. "Okay. Listen carefully, my young pupil. Catching penguins is an ancient and sacred art. Behold." Katara pulled a small fish out of her pocket, and tossed it to Kija. The penguins began to waddle towards her, trying to eat up the food. Kija looked around and began to laugh as the penguins swarmed over her. 

Kija zipped over a ledge on the back of a larger penguin, laughing as the snow flew up around her. Katara wasn't far behind, letting out a yelp of surprise as her penguin flew into the air and landed with a thump on the snow, sliding towards Kija.

Katara was neck in neck with the other girl. "I haven't done this since I was a kid!" She called out. Kija laughed. "Depends what you call being a kid. Cause to me, you still are a kid!" With that, she slid ahead of the young Water-Bender and into a tunnel.

Kija let out a whoop of laughter as she spun around inside the tunnel, sliding up onto the walls. She turned to stick her tongue out at Katara, and pushed her penguin forward with a jet of air, and they rocketed out of the tunnel. She came to a stop on a flat icy plain.

She looked up and a shadow loomed over her. "Woah... What is that?" She breathed. A giant mass of cast iron and steel, a ship, she realized, was pushed up by giant, jagged pillars of ice. A torn red flag with the Fire Nation insignia fluttered in the icy wind.

"A Fire Navy ship," Katara answered, anger lacing her voice. "And a very bad memory for my people," she said grimly. Kija walked towards the metal monster, and Katara held out a hand, reaching for her. "Kija, stop! We're not allowed to go near it. The ship could be booby-trapped!"

Kija turned around, and said determinedly, "if you want to be a bender, you have to let go of fear." Katara let her hand fall back to her side, and she grimaced before following Kija closer to the warship. She gulped, the eerie silence around the old, rusty iron battleship unnerving. Kija took her hand, and helped her over the ice, towards a hole in the rusted hull. Kija climbed carefully into the dark hole, the rusted framework creaking as she walked bravely into the darkness.

The halls were dusty and the crude metal walls were falling apart. A low groan of shifting metal echoed around the ship as they continued on. Katara flinched at the sound.

The Air-Bender was as confident as ever, leaning around the side of a door to examine the room. Her eyes widened at the sheer amount of weaponry leaning against the walls. Katara spoke as Kija leaned forward to investigate a heavy battle-ax. "This ship has haunted my tribe since Gran-Gran was a little girl. It was part of the Fire Nation's first attacks."

Kija closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. "Okay, back up," she said a few seconds later. "I have friends all over the world, even in the Fire Nation. And I have never seen any war." Katara's eyes opened wide. "Kija," she said softly. "How long were you in that iceberg?"

She bit her lip, confusion in her eyes. "I don't know, a few days maybe?" Katara shook her head. "I think it was more like a hundred years." Kija lifted up a heavy spear caked in dust and replied, "what? That's impossible. Do I look like a one-hundred-fifteen year old woman to you?" Katara shook her head. "Think about it. The war is a century old. You don't know about it because somehow, you were in the iceberg that whole time! It's the only explanation." Kija looked up at her with fear filled eyes. "No... I-I don't believe it..." She stumbled backwards, slumping down against the wall. Katara put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kija. Maybe there's a bright side to all this?" Kija looked up at her hopefully. "Well, I did get to meet you and Sokka," Katara smiled slightly. "C'mon. Lets get out of here," she grasped Kija's hand and pulled her to her feet. Kija shook her head, and went to climb a ladder at the side of the room. "I can't. I might learn more about what happened. I need to know." Katara followed her, a worried frown on her face. 

"Come on. Let's go," Katara urged as Kija walked into yet another room. "This place is creepy." Kija took a few steps forward. "Huh?" She looked down to see her foot had pulled a wire that had been hidden in the dust. She swore under her breath as a gate slammed down over the exit. A set of dials began to spin as smoke leaked out from the pipes.

Kija pressed her hands to a glass window on the far side of the room, and looked out to see a flare rocketing up into the sky. "Monkey feathers," she grumbled. "Take my hand," she said to Katara. "What're you- AHHH!" Katara grabbed the girl's hand as she used a jet of airbending to propel them out of a hole in the roof. 

The telescope zoomed in on the flare, then on the two people escaping the ship. Kija's's ashy-blond hair looked white in the glaring sunlight. Zuko watched as the figure jumped nimbly down the chunks of ice. "The last Air-Bender... Quite agile for his old age," he murmured, narrowing his eyes. He turned around, yelling to the guard, "Wake my uncle! Tell him I found the Avatar!" He turned back to his telescope, following the figures as they moved towards a small, almost unnoticeable mass of snow huts. "As well as his hiding place."


	2. Chapter 2: Stand and Fight

**A/N New chapter, I've had this one done for a while. Read and review?**

Chapter Two: Stand and Fight

Kija walked towards the village, her head held high. Katara trudged along next to her, hanging her head in embarrassment. The older inhabitants of the tribe scowled as the Air-Bender stopped a few feet from their group, a look of determination on her face. Sokka stepped forward.

"I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare! You're leading them right to us!" He pointed an accusing finger at Kija. Katara stepped up to defend the girl.

"Kija didn't do anything! It was an accident!" Kija grimaced. "Yeah... We were on the ship and there was this booby trap and-" Katara's grandmother interrupted. "Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship. Now we could all be in danger!" Her voice was sharp and scolding, and Katara hung her head.

Kija scowled. "Don't anyone blame her. It's my fault." Sokka narrowed his eyes. "Aha! The traitor confesses. The foreigner is banished from our village." Before anyone else could speak, Kija took a step forward.

"I'm not leaving. I'm going to help you defend your village." Sokka scowled. "We can handle it. Leave!" Kija crossed her arms. "Sokka, you already told me only you can fight! I'm an accomplished Air-Bender! You won't stand a chance without backup!" He took a step towards her. "No. Leave, now!" Kija's eyes darkened in anger. "Fine." She turned around sharply and walked away, her head held high.

Katara grabbed her shoulder desperately. "Wait! I'm coming with you." Sokka yelled angrily, "where do you think you're going?!" Katara didn't look back, and began pulling Kija toward Appa. "To the North Pole," she said bitterly. "Kija is going to find me a teacher." Sokka called to her retreating form.

"Katara! Will you really choose her over your tribe? Your own family?" Kija's eyes softened. "Katara, I'm not coming between you and your family,"'she said softly, pulling herself free of her grasp. "So... you're leaving the South Pole? This is goodbye?" Katara's eyes were wide and sorrowful. Kija climbed aboard Appa, and waved at the younger girl, a sad smile on her face. "Thanks for penguin sledding with me..." Sokka interrupted rudely, "let's see your bison fly now, air-girl."

Kija shot him a scathing glance, and turned to Appa, and saying kindly, "c'mon Appa, you can do it! Yip-yip!" Appa climbed to his feet, and began to walk away from the village. "Yeah, I thought so!" Sokka said cruelly.

One of the little girls cried out, running towards the sky bison. "Kiki, don't go," she said, tears brimming in her eyes. "I'll miss you," Kija looked back at the little girl, and sad softly, "I'll miss you too..." She turned away, and Appa began to trudge down the icy hill. Katara didn't move, watching the girl as she disappeared. The little girl turned away, walking back to her tribe as tears slid down her face.

Katara didn't move. Gran-Gran approached her slowly. "Katara, you'll feel better after you-" she began to say. Katara whirled around angrily. "Are you happy now? There goes my one chance at becoming a Water-Bender!" Katara stormed off back to the village, and her grandmother sighed. 

Kija and Appa lay in crevices of ice on the foggy shore. Appa growled, and Kija sighed despondently.

"Yeah, I liked them too," she said sadly. Kija lay silent, her hands behind her head as fog rolled in from the ocean. She looked around. Something was wrong- the fog was gray. She sat up and gasped. A giant fire navy ship plowed steadily through the ice, right towards... The village.

Kija narrowed her eyes. No matter what Sokka had said, she had to do something. She grabbed her glider, leaping into the air. "I'll be back," she called to Appa as she flew out into the misty air. 

Sokka stood on the wall of ice that surrounded the village. He had out on the traditional gray and black warrior face paint, and gripped his club tightly as he waited. The fog was thick, and no one could see very far from the village. A crash rang out from the mist, and the tribespeople gasped.

The wall began to shake, and he stared straight ahead with determination, looking away only once when his prized snow watchtower toppled to the ground. "Oh man," he complained. The older tribe members began to usher the children into the tents, looking out into the fog with terrified eyes. A giant fire nation ship loomed out of the mist.

"Oh man..." Sokka repeated, almost whispering. The ship plowed into the ice, carving a path to the village. The older women rushed to get everyone to safety as the ice split.

"Sokka, get out of the way!" Katara cried as the wall he was standing on began to crumble into the ocean. An avalanche of snow pushed Sokka backwards. The ship slowed to a halt, and the village people peeked out from the tents. A hiss of hot air escaped from the ship as a bridge descended down, crab sing against the ground and sending Sokka stumbling backwards. 

Prince Zuko began walking down the boarding ramp, dressed in red Fire Nation armor. He wore a maroon chest plate, helmet and gi with gold flames depicted on his clothes. Two firebending guards flanked him, dressed similarly. Four more guards followed behind, armed with spears.

Sokka stood up, and charged up the ramp with a yell, club in hand. Prince Zuko calmly waited until Sokka was a few feet away, and sent this club spinning out of his hand with a sharp axe kick, bringing his heel back into Sokka's head and knocking him off into the snow. The tribespeople gasped and huddled close together in fear.

Zuko stalked towards the group. He searched their faces, one by one. "Where are you hiding him," he said angrily. None of the tribespeople made a sound. Zuko reached forward, and pulled Katara's grandmother towards him.

"He would be about this age, master of all elements?" He shoved the poor older woman back to the group when no one answered. "I know you're hiding him," he snarled, sending a tongue of flame over their heads threateningly. The villagers shrunk back, a few of their children crying out in fear.

Sokka stumbled to his feet behind him, grabbing his club and running at Zuko again, yelling loudly. Zuko dropped to the ground smoothly, hooking one arm around Sokka's foot and sending him flying over his head, landing in a heap. Sokka rolled out of the way with a yelp as a burst of flame melted the snow where he was sitting a few seconds ago.

Sokka pulled out his boomerang and it spun towards Zuko, and he avoided it barely, a look of surprise on his face. He snarled angrily at Sokka, and a boy yelled quietly, "Show no fear!" A spear was tossed into Sokka'a hands and he charged towards Zuko again. Zuko raised his arm and blocked the spear thrust deftly, breaking the head of the spear off. He grabbed the remaining end, which was nothing more than a stick tied to a bone, and hit Sokka repeatedly in the head with the butt of the spear.

Sokka fell down, and Zuko broke the spear in half, tossing the pieces away. Sokka rubbed his head. "Owww..." He looked up to see a silver glint behind Zuko. Before he could do a thing, the boomerang Sokka had threw came spinning back, slamming against his helmet. Zuko snarled, and twin jets of flame flickered menacingly from his clenched fists.

Kija sped down the icy hill on the back of a smaller penguin, her hair tangling in the wind. She clutched her staff in one hand as she guided the animal towards the village with the other. A fire nation ship was moored right in front of the small tribe, and she could see a young man standing in front of someone- it was Sokka!

Her eyes widened as flames erupted from his hands, and she urged the penguin to move faster. She rocketed towards the teenager, and knocked him off his feet. The children of the tribe cheered as she slowed to a stop.

Kija flashed a smile, and the penguin unceremoniously dumped her into the snow. She sat up, and said brightly, "hey Katara, hey Sokka!" Sokka hung his head and sighed. "Uh... Hi... Kija. Thanks for coming." Kija. smiled, and turned to face the young man who had tried to hurt her friends. He slid into a fighting stance, and the guards fanned out around her. Kija stood on her toes, ready to move, her staff at the ready. "Don't touch them," she snarled, noting how the Fire Nation soldiers inched towards the tribespeople. At her threat, the soldiers headed towards her. She flicked the staff as the guards approached her, sending gusts of snow flying, knocking them down. She aimed a blast of air at Zuko, covering him in snow. He clenched his jaw and the snow melted. "Looking for me?" Kija asked, in a light fighting stance. Zuko looked at her in disbelief. "You're the Air-Bender?! YOU'RE the Avatar?"

Kija didn't move or say a word, but she knew that Sokka and Katara were staring at her, their expressions similar to the teenage Fire-Bender's in front of her. They began to circle each other warily. "I've spent years preparing for this encounter- training, meditating. You're just a girl!" He spat. Kija seethed silently before replying, "and you're just a sexist guy with a ponytail!"

He growled and sent a torrent of flame towards her, and Kija extinguished it with a twirl of her staff, retaliating by sending a gust of air forward. The young man stumbled backwards a few steps before shooting another blast of fire at the girl. She deflected it with ease. "Just a girl, huh?" She said mockingly. Zuko snarled, and a tongue of flame twisted toward her.

She blocked it with her staff again, and the flame seared above the heads of the tribespeople. She flinched as the children cried out in fear. Her staff clattered to the icy ground. She hung her head in defeat. "If I go with you, do you promise to leave everyone alone," she said quietly, looking up to meet his amber gaze. Tension laced the air as she awaited his answer. The leader gave a curt nod, and Kija looked down as two guards grabbed her arms. Katara took a few steps forward and reached out her hand, as if to pull Kija away from the Fire Navy guards.

"No, Kija, don't do this!" She called out desperately. "It'll be okay," she said reassuringly, looking back at the girl and her brother. She stumbled slightly as the guard shoved her into the ship. The last thing she saw before the bridge closed was Katara'a face, tears in her eyes.

* * * * * * 

Katara stood silently at the edge of the ice, staring off in the direction the ship had gone.

"We have to go after that ship, Sokka," she said determinedly as her brother came up behind her. "Kija saved our tribe, now we have to save him." Sokka crossed his arms.

"Katara, I-" "why can't you realize she's on our side?" Her voice got slightly hysterical as she continued. "If we don't help him, no one will! I know you don't like Kija, and-" Sokka let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Katara! Are you gonna talk all day, or are you coming with me," he said, motioning to the canoe drifting in the water. Katara gasped, and she grinned widely. "Sokka!" She ran up to her older brother and gave him a hug. He motioned to the boat. "Get in. We're gonna go save your friend." Katara's smile grew bigger.

"What do you two think you're doing?" A voice sounded behind them. Katara and Sokka turned to see their grandmother looking at the two of them sternly. "You'll need these," she added, smiling at the siblings as she handed them bundles of clothing. You have a long journey ahead of you." She walked forward to hand them the supplies.

"It's been a long time since I've had hope," she said quietly. "But you brought it back to life, my little Water-Bender," she said, hugging Katara. "And you, my brave warrior," she said, turning to Sokka. "Take care of your sister." She walked over to hug him as well, and Sokka replied awkwardly, "yeah, okay Gran..."

She backed away and said to the siblings, "Kijaw is the Avatar. She's the world's only chance. You both found her for a reason. Now your destinies are intertwined with hers." Katara glanced at Sokka and said blatantly, "there's no way we're going to catch a warship with a canoe."

Suddenly, a roar echoed out from behind the snowy hills. "Appa!" Katara said happily, running towards the sound of the fuzzy creature. Sokka sighed and commented drily, "you just love taking me out of my comfort zone, don't you," as he followed his eager sister. 

The warship cut easily through the dark, icy waters. Surrounding the ship were sheer cliffs of ice and snow.

Kija stood silently on the ship's deck with her hands tied behind her back. Zuko held up her staff. "This staff will make an excellent gift for my father." He scowled at Kija.

"I suppose you wouldn't know what a father is," he said, slamming the end of the staff onto the deck. "Being raised by monks." Kija narrowed her eyes, and spit at the young man contemptuously. The two stood toe to toe as a snarl marred his face. "Don't test me," he growled out.

"Shut up. You're rude, and your hair is stupid, Mr. Ponytail," she taunted. Zuko took a deep breath before ordering, "take the Avatar to the prison hold." He thrust the staff into his uncle's hands. "And take this to my quarters." As Zuko walked away, his uncle handed the staff to a guard. "Hey, you mind taking this to his quarters for me?" He asked rhetorically, before wandering off to get something to eat, or perhaps play a game of pai-sho against the captain. 

Kija was shoved unceremoniously below deck, guards in front of her and behind her preventing her escape.

"So," she said idly. "I guess you've never fought an Air-Bender before. I bet I can take you both with my hands tied behind my back." The guards continued to move, but one said in a deep, commanding voice, "Silence!" Kija pouted as the procession moved on.

"You're a wimp," she grumbled. "Scared to fight a girl," The guard behind her chuckled.

"You're an Air-Bender,"'he said gruffly. "Air-Benders will just evade. Not attack, just evade." Kija smirked.

"Well that makes me a misfit then," she said quietly as the approached a metal door. she took in a big breath of air and exhaled forcefully, sending the guard in front of her slamming against the door, and the guard behind her acting as a cushion against the wall as they flew backwards.

Kija stood up, shaking her head to clear it, and took off running back up the stairs. She ran across the deck, airbending with her feet and sending a current blasting the door that the guard with her staff had gone through wide open.

She raced forward through the narrow corridors, the pipes on the walls occasionally scraping against her skin. She looked back to see the guard who had hit his head yelling, "The Avatar has escaped!" 

Appa swam leisurely through the icy water, his fur coat protecting him from the chill. Katara sat at the reins and Sokka relaxed in the saddle, trying to make the creature fly.

"Go... Fly... Soar..." He said lazily, leaning back with his arms crossed. Appa growled.

"Please Appa, we need your help. Kija needs your help." Katara said gently. Sokka uncrossed his arms and sighed.

"Up... Ascend... Elevate..." He propped his head up lazily on his elbow. Katara leaned down and petted Appa gently.

"Sokka doesn't believe you can fly. But I do, Appa! Come on, don't you wanna save Kija?" Appa snorted upon hearing his friend's name. Sokka sat up straight.

"What was it that kid said? Yee-hah? Hup-hup? Wahoo? Uhh... Yip-yip?" Appa's ears perked up and his tail rose out of the water, and came crashing down. The giant creature rose shakily out of the water, gaining more confidence as she flew higher.

"You did it Sokka!" Katara yelled happily. Sokka leaned over the saddle. "He's flying. He's flying! Katara, he's-" his sister smirked at him knowingly. "I mean- big deal, he's flying." 

Kija turned a corner, her breath coming in short gasps. She looked ahead to see two guards blocking her way, swords at the ready. She stood still for a moment while her breathing settled.

"You haven't seen my staff around, have you?" The guards began to edge toward her, and she sighed before running up along the wall and onto the ceiling, her airbending allowing her to defy gravity.

"Neat trick, right?" She called back to the bewildered guards as she darted down the hallway. Up ahead was a ladder that she quickly airbended up, only to be stopped by another guard. He sent a torrent of flame towards her, and she jumped over the fire, flipping over the surprised guard.

The rope tying her hands snagged on his pointed helmet, and broke with a snap. She grinned to herself, sprinting onwards with her hands freed. She sprinted down the hallway, opening the doors along the way.

"Sorry," she whispered when one door opened to reveal an older man taking a peaceful nap. She glanced through an open door briefly before skidding to a stop and hurrying back to the room when she saw her staff resting against the wall.

"My staff!" She said, relieved. She ran into the room, grabbing her glider and smiling, feeling the familiar wood with all it's dents and scratches in her hands. She stiffened at the sound of the door slamming shut. "Looks like I underestimated you," Zuko said angrily. Kija winced comically. "Ahh... Yeah, looks like you did, Ponytail," she retorted cheekily.

He responded by sending a burst of fire towards her. She leapt to the side. "You missed," she said drily. He sent blow after blow towards her, and she dodged each of them smoothly. She rolled under his legs, coming up behind him and yanking his ponytail, moving with him to stay in his blind spot as he created arcs and torrents of flame. Zuko reached backwards, grabbing her wrist and turning to face her. Kija wrenched her hand out of his grasp, catching the flaming punch heading her way with a shield of air. She ran to the side, forming a sphere of air and leaping on top of it as it began to spin.

"AIRBALL!" She called out gleefully as she sped towards Zuko, knocking him clean off his feet. As he stood up and shook his head, she ran to grab her staff, turning to face him just as he shifted into a bending stance.

"You're outmatched now," she said simply, and used her staff to send the mattress in the corner of the room slamming into Zuko, crushing him against the wall. He fell to the floor on top of the mattress, and let out a groan. Kija flicked her staff up and Zuko was slammed against the ceiling.

"See ya later, Ponytail," she called over her shoulder as she ran out onto the balcony, opening her glider and jumping up, intending to fly away. She heard footsteps behind her and a sudden weight on her ankle.

"Spirits," she grunted. "Why are you so heavy?!" The glider began to wobble, and suddenly she was plummeting towards the deck of the ship. She hit the metal and tumbling forward. She stood up shakily to see Zuko in his bending stance, yet again. She winced. Her head ached horribly. A growl echoed through the icy cliffs, and she saw Zuko's stance falter. "What is that?" She turned to see Appa flying towards her.

"Uh... My flying bison," she said awkwardly. Zuko focused his attention back on her, and a burst of flame sent her stumbling backwards. She leaned precariously over the edge of the ship, but regained her balance as the prince rained blow after blow down on her. She leapt back and found herself on the railing.

"Monkey feathers," she swore as a fireball pushed her back off the ship and into the icy ocean. The cold enveloped her and unwelcome water rushed into her mouth and nose. She felt herself losing consciousness and slipping into blackness when everything went white. She couldn't see, hear, or move.

"_What is going on_..."'she wondered to herself. Her face contorted into a cruel mask. She was unaware of her own body, but suddenly she could see. Not as herself, but as millions of others. A jet of water pushed her up to the surface, and back on to the gray metal warship. The torrent of water circled around her in a ring, and it steadily grew wider, knocking the guards and Zuko himself off the sides of the ship.

Kija groaned as her eyes returned to stormy gray, and she fell to the deck. Appa landed smoothly on the deck of the ship. Katara jumped off her back and ran over to Kija. "Kija!" She called frantically. "Are you okay?" She nodded weakly.

"Hey Katara... Hey Sokka... Thanks for coming," Sokka shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "Well, we couldn't let you have all the glory," Kija smiled weakly, but her smile quickly faded. "I dropped my staff..." Sokka searched the deck, spotting her staff hanging off the side.

"Got it," he called as he ran towards the staff. Sokka grabbed the end of the staff and pulled, lurching back slightly at the realization that none other than Zuko was hanging on desperately to the other end. Sokka grimaced, trying to shake him off. When that didn't work, Sokka bonked him repeatedly in the head. The Fire-Bender lost his grip, and fell down, catching himself on the anchor.

"Hah! That's from the Water Tribe!" Sokka crowed victoriously. Katara had helped Kija onto Appa's back, and turned around to see three guards approaching her warily. She rolled up her sleeves and began to move her hands in gentle patterns. A rope of water spiraled around her and she forced her hands out. The water shot out behind her and froze over Sokka's feet.

"Katara!" He complained, hacking at the ice with his boomerang. The guards continued to advance, and Katara turned her back to them, fashioning another rope of seawater. She thrust her hands forward, eyes closed, and the water froze over the guards. She turned around and smiled. Katara ran towards Appa, climbing into the saddle. Kija had grabbed the reins. "Hurry up, Sokka!" She yelled. Sokka was still whacking the ice with his boomerang.

"I'm just a guy with a boomerang. I didn't ask for all this flying, and magic," he grumbled, freeing his feet and grabbing Kija's staff, before running up to Appa and climbing into the saddle. "Yip yip, yip yip!" Sokka cried frantically as Zuko's uncle walked onto the deck. He looked at the flying bison in confusion and rubbed his eyes. He ran over to help Zuko back onto the ship.

"Shoot them down!" Zuko roared. The two moved quickly, using a basic form to combine their flame, sending a colossal fireball soaring after them. Kija let to of the reins and ran to the end of the saddle, whirling her staff and sending a gust of air out that sent the fireball slamming into a cliff. Tons of ice and snow started to rain down on the warship. She used airbending to amplify her voice and called down to the figures on the deck,

"WATCH OUT, PONYTAIL!" The ice and snow toppled down, and the figures moved quickly out of the way. She breathed a sigh of relief. Katara and Sokka were looking at her quizzically. She shrugged. "What? I'm just a nice person." 

"Good news for the Fire Lord," Zuko's uncle said. "The Fire Nation's greatest threat is just a girl." Zuko scowled. "That girl just did this." He motioned to the ship. The prow was completely buried in snow and ice.

"I won't underestimate her again. Dig this ship out and follow them!" He ordered. His guards were busy thawing out the minions Katara had frozen. Zuko grimaced. "After you finish doing that." 

The trio flew peacefully through the sky. "How did you do that? With the water!?" Katara asked in awe. Kija shook her head. "I don't know. I just... Did it." Katara paused for a moment.

"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?" She asked. Kija sighed and looked out into the sky. "Because I never wanted to be." Katara looked at her sadly. "But Kija, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to finally put an end to this war." Kija furrowed her brow worriedly. "And how am I going to do that..." Katara smiled faintly.

"According to legend, you're supposed to learn Water, then earth, then fire. So, if we go to the North Pole, you can learn waterbending!" Kija looked at Katara and smiled. "We can learn it together." Katara turned to Sokka. "And I'm sure you'll get to bonk some Fire Nation heads along the way." He sighed contentedly. "I'd like that. I'd really like that." Kija jumped into the saddle. "Let's get planning!" She pulled out a map and grinned. The sun shone through the clouds as the trio chatted idly.


	3. Chapter 3: Disaster

**A/N: Third chapter, yes. Review? Please? **

**Dove is the way: Yeah, I posted this once with her name as Kazia, but it wasnt very Air-Benderish. So I changed it. I missed a few spots, but I'll get to them...**

Chapter Three: Disaster 

The sun was rising over the trio's small campsite, and the embers from the fire sent a thin trail of smoke into the sky. "Wait till you see it, Katara," Kija said excitedly, fastening Appa's reins onto his horns. "The Air Temple is one of the most beautiful places in the world!"

Katara stopped packing their supplies for a moment to turn to Kija. "Kija, I know you're excited, but, it's been a hundred years since you've been home..." Kija wasn't fazed. "That's why I'm so excited!" Katara sighed, and resumed organizing the contents of the saddle. "Kija, it's just... A lot can change in a hundred years." Kija smiled gently. "I know. But I need to see it for myself."

With that, she jumped down from Appa and strolled towards the campsite. "Wake up, Sokka! Air Temple time!" The boy snoring in a blue furred sleeping bag rolled over.

"Sleep now, temple later," he said wearily. Kija frowned for a moment, before smiling mischievously. She grabbed a stick off the ground and began to poke Sokka with it.

"Wake up Sokka! There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!" Sokka woke up with a start, standing up and hopping around in his sleeping bag frantically, yelling, "AHH! GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF! AHHH!" He fell flat on his face, and scowled darkly, as Kija and Katara giggled.

"Great, you're awake! Let's go!" Kija grinned eagerly.

The gray-black battleship looked small and insignificant amidst the masses of newer, colossal warships lining it on all sides. "I want the repairs done as quickly as possible. I don't want to stay long and risk losing her trail," Zuko ordered as he strode out onto the dock, his uncle by his side.

"You mean the Avatar?" his uncle asked blandly. Zuko turned around sharply to glare at the older man. "Don't mention her name on these docks. Once word gets out that she's alive, every Fire-Bender will be out looking for her. And I don't want anyone getting in the way," he said angrily.

A cruel voice sounded from behind him. "Getting in the way of what, Prince Zuko?" A dark haired man, dressed in a Fire Nation military gear approached them with an air of superiority.

"Captain Zhao," Zuko said with contempt, folding his arms over his chest. "It's Commander now," Zhao replied smugly, giving the younger man a condescending smirk. He turned to Zuko's uncle, and allowed him the slightest of bows. "And General Iroh, great hero of our nation." "Retired General," Iroh corrected graciously, returning the respectful bow.

"The Fire Lord's brother and son are welcome guests anytime," Zhao said. "What brings you to my harbor?"

Iroh gestured to the smaller vessel, hunks of metal torn out of the prow. "Our ship is being repaired." Commander Zhao faked a look of concern and curiosity. "That's quite a bit of damage..." Zuko replied quickly, and somewhat awkwardly, "yes! You wouldn't believe what happened." He paused for a moment. "Uncle! Tell Commander Zhao what happened."

Iroh's eyes widened, and a strange expression flashed across his face. "Uh... Yes! I will do that."  
"It was incredible," the older man said, leaning over to Zuko and whispering in his ear, "what, did we crash or something?" Zuko grimaced, quickly thinking of a convincing lie. "Yes! Right into... An Earth Kingdom ship!"

Commander Zhao raised an eyebrow disbelievingly, and replied with thinly masked sarcasm, "Really. You must regale me with all the thrilling details," he leaned down towards Zuko, looking him in the eye and issuing a challenge, "join me for a drink?"

Zuko turned away. "Sorry, but we have to go," he said coldly. Iroh grabbed his shoulder. "Prince Zuko. Show Commander Zhao your respect." Iroh turned to face the smirking commander. "We would be honored to join you. Do you have any ginseng tea? Its my favorite."

Zuko snarled, and a burst of fire flared from his clenched fists as he reluctantly followed his uncle and the smug commander.

Kija sat in front of the saddle, gripping the reins tightly. She leaned forward, eager to see her home again.  
A faint growling sounded form behind her, and Kija turned to see Sokka clutching his stomach and scowling. "Hey, stomach, be quiet, alright? I'm trying to find us some food." He began to rummage through their supplies, pulling out a tan cloth knapsack and shaking the contents out onto his hand. A few crumbs tumbled out of the bag.

Hey!" Sokka exclaimed, turning to glare at Kija and Katara. "Who at all my blubbered seal jerky?" He held up the empty bag. Kija winced. "Oh... That was food? I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"You what?!" Sokka demanded indignantly. "Aww..." He sulked, placing the empty bag back with the rest of their things. "No wonder the flames smelled so good," he said longingly.  
Kija spun back around, looking out at the landscape excitedly. "The Patola mountain range! We're almost there!"

"Kija," Katara said quietly, looking over at the cheerful Air-Bender. "I want to talk to you about the Air-Benders." Kija raised an eyebrow at the younger girl. "What about them?"

Katara turned away from her for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "Well," she started, moving to face the blonde girl. "I just want you to be prepared for what you might see," she said carefully. "The Fire Nation are ruthless. They killed my mother. They could've done the same to your people." Kija shook her head, but there was a hint of doubt in her gray eyes.

"Just because nobody has seen an Air-Bender, doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all," she said optimistically. "They probably escaped."

Katara placed a reassuring hand on Kija's shoulder. "I know it's hard to accept-" Kija shook her head and said determinedly, "you don't understand, Katara. The only way up to an Air-Bender temple is on a flying bison. And I don't think the Fire Nation has any flying bison. Right Appa?" She leaned down to scratch the giant creature's head affectionately.

"Guys, you might want to hold on," she warned. "Yip-yip!" Appa began a steep ascent up the side of the mountain. The wind whistled in her ears and she squinted her eyes as Appa crested over the summit. "There," she said quietly, pointing to a mass of turrets and bridges, crafted out of stone.

"The Southern Air Temple..." Katara gasped in awe. "Kija, it's amazing!" Kija sighed happily. "We're home, buddy," she murmured to Appa, "we're home."

"And by years end, the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule." Zhao explained, facing a large map on the wall. "The Fire Nation will finally claim victory in this war." Zhao turned around, his hands clasped behind his back.

Zuko was sitting in a straight backed chair, and said quietly, "if my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he is a fool." Zhao took a seat next to the prince and smirked. "Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue," he mocked. Zuko didn't reply.

"So... How is your search for the Avatar going?" A crash echoed from the side of the room, and Iroh held up his hands apologetically, standing next to a toppled weapons display. "My fault entirely," he said, folding his hands in his robe.  
Zhao refocused his attention on the young man sitting next to him. "We haven't found him yet," he said stiffly.

"Did you really expect to," Zhao said cruelly. "The Avatar died a hundred years ago." Zuko looked away, his lips pressed into a hard line. Zhao smirked victoriously, noting the young man's reaction. "Unless you've found some sort of evidence that the Avatar is alive?" He questioned.

"No. Nothing," Zuko said coldly, shooting Zhao an angry glare as he clenched his fists against the armrests of his chair.  
Zhao rose to his feet, his hands clasped behind his back. "Prince Zuko, the Avatar is the only one that can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war. If you have an _ounce_ of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you've found," he leaned toward the prince, his stance almost threatening. Zuko scowled up at the commander.

"I haven't found anything," he said firmly. "It's like you said; the Avatar probably died a hundred years ago." He stood up, walking away from Zhao. "Come on, Uncle, we're going," he said, without turning back.  
The guards crossed their spears in front of the prince, stopping him from leaving. Another guard stepped forward. "Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody, but let her escape."  
Zhao's eyes widened for a second at the word "her." He stalked towards the prince, a cruel smile twisting his features. "Now remind me," he said, cornering Zuko like a predator would do to it's prey. "How exactly was your ship damaged?"

Kija ran up the twisting paths excitedly, Katara and Sokka walking along behind her. Sokka clutched at his stomach.

"So, where do I get something to eat?" Katara shot her older brother a withering glance. "You're lucky enough to be one of the first outsiders to ever visit an Air-Bender temple, and all you can think about is food!?" Sokka shrugged off her scolding. "Hey, I'm just a simple guy with simple needs."  
The siblings finally caught up to the eager Air-Bender. Kija was standing silently on the edge of the stone trail, looking around. She pointed to a mess of poles of all lengths sticking out of the ground.

"That's where me and my friends used to play airball," she said as Katara and Sokka approached her. She turned and motioned to a number of caves carved into the mountainside. "And that's where the bison would sleep; and..." She sighed and hung her head, a frown twisting her face as she stood in the emptiness of the temple.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked curiously, and Kija replied without looking at the younger girl, "this place used to be filled with monks and lemurs and bison..." She looked around the empty landscape with saddened eyes. "Now there's just a bunch of weeds..."

The wind ruffled her clothes, bright orange and yellow against the dull landscape. "I can't believe how much things have changed," Sokka and Katara exchanged a worried glance. Sokka spoke up, trying to distract Kija. "So, uh, this airball game- how do you play?"

Kija and Sokka stood on opposite side of the field, Kija holding a spinning ball in her hands. She threw the ball up, smiling mischievously, and used airbending to send the ball slamming into Sokka, knocking him the ought the goal.

"Kija: seven, Sokka: zero!" She cheered. Sokka sat up, grumbling, "making her feel better is putting me in a world of hurt," Kija walked over to the siblings. "That's enough playing, we've got a whole temple to explore!" Katara and Sokka looked at her, their expressions somber. She raised an eye brow quizzically. Kija shook her head, and motioned for the siblings to follow her into the temple.

Kija ran through a blue stone courtyard, a fountain in the center that had long since dried up. "Hey, you guys! I want you to meet somebody," Kija called from the end of the courtyard. The siblings stood a little ways behind Kija, who was smiling at a wooden statue of a bald older man. He had a shaved head, and a rather long mustache. Around his neck was a rope of beads. A circular charm with the air insignia lay against the figure's chest, and two tassels hung on either side.

"That's Monk Gyatso, the greatest Air-Bender of all time," she said fondly. "He taught me everything I know." Kija bowed respectfully to the weathered statue, overcome with memories.

"But the true secret, is in the gooey center..." Monk Gyatso said in his calm, lilting voice. He held a hand over the fruit cake, airbending the fruit center into a gooey swirl. Kija sat on the railing, staring off into the distance.

"Hmm..." She said. Monk Gyatso put the last cake on the railing and said softly, "My ancient cake making technique isn't the only thing on your mind, is it Kija?" She sighed.

"This whole Avatar thing... Maybe the monks made a mistake..." "The only mistake they made was telling you before you turned sixteen..." Monk Gyatso said firmly. "But we cannot concern ourselves with what was, we must act on what is!" He said, motioning out to the lively grounds of the temple, teeming with young bison and Air-Bender trainees. Kija didn't move.

"But Gyatso, how do I know if I'm ready for this?" Monk Gyatso turned to look at Kija."Your questions will be answered when you are old enough to enter the Air Temple Sanctuary. Inside, you will meet someone who will guide you on your journey." Kija raised her head eagerly. "who is it?"  
"When you are ready, he will reveal himself to you," Monk Gyatso said quietly. He smiled kindly.

"Now, are you going to help me with these cakes, or not?" Kija stood up and grinned. "Alright." The two took their places, and moved fluidly into forward stances, pushing the air in an intricate move, and sending the cakes flying. They landed with a splat on the heads of monks meditating in a clearing. Lemurs darted from the trees and began to munch on the bits of cake as Monk Gyatso and Kija laughed.

* * * * * *

Kija looked up, pain and sorrow in her eyes. There wasn't a single chance that Gyatso was alive, and she knew that. She fought back tears as the siblings approached. "You must miss him," Katara said softly. "Yeah," she said softly, her voice cracking slightly. She shrugged off Katara's comforting hand and moved on, deeper into the temple.  
"Where are you going?" Katara's voice echoed after her. "The Air Temple Sanctuary. There's someone I'm ready to meet," Kija answered, her voice slightly stronger. Katara glanced at her brother, who shrugged, before following her farther into the temple.

Kija came to a stop in front of a large wooden door, an intricate design of pipes in the middle of the weathered wood.  
"But Kija, no one could've survived in there for a hundred years." Katara piped up. "Hey, I survived in the iceberg for that long," Kija said with a small smile. Katara shrugged in amusement. "Good point."

Kija turned to the younger girl, an excited gleam in her eyes. "Katara, whoever's in there might help me figure out this Avatar thing!"  
Sokka rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "And, whoever's in there might have a delicious medley of cured meats!" With that, he sprinted headlong towards the door, only to slam into it when the strong oak wood didn't open. He looked up at the tangled mess of bronze tubes locking the door.  
"I don't suppose you have a key?" He asked Kija. Kija grinned at the Water Tribe boy, and replied, "The key, Sokka, is airbending." Kija stepped back, taking a deep breath, and thrust her palms forward, torrents of wind spewing forth and spiraling up the pipes, and three blue circles that made up the airbending symbol flipped over, and the door began to open with a rumbling creak.  
"Hello?" Kija called out into the darkness. "Anyone home?" She began to walk into the dark, musty room. Katara and Sokka followed behind her cautiously, taking small steps as their eyes adjusted to the low light. 

"So a fifteen year old girl bested you and your Fire-Benders," Zhao stated, pacing back and forth in front of the prince. He stopped and sighed, clasping his hands behind his back."You're more pathetic than I thought," Zhao sneered contemptuously.  
Zuko scowled, glancing up at Zhao. "I underestimated her once, but it will _not_ happen again." Zuko's gaze dropped back to the floor.  
"No it will not," Zhao agreed sternly. "Because you won't get a second chance."  
"Commander Zhao," Zuko began to protest angrily, "I've been hunting the Avatar for two years now and I-" Zhao spun around, an arc of flame flaring out from his palm as he cut the prince off, his voice cold.

"And you failed!" Zhao stalked towards the prince, his tone cruel and his expression hard. "Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands. She's mine now."  
Zuko lunged for the smug commander with a snarl, and two guards quickly restrained him. "Keep them here," Zhao ordered as he walked away. Zuko's face was contorted into an angry scowl as he turned, kicking over the small table next to him.

"More tea please," Iroh asked calmly.

Kija peered through the darkness, her eyes searching for signs of life in this dusty room. She looked forward, the light from outside the door falling on an assortment of statues. As her eyes became gradually used to the dark room, she could see many, many statues, one next to another, spiraling in circles around the room, even up the wall. She walked forward, through the eerie masses of stone figures, Katara and Sokka following not far behind.  
"Statues?" Sokka said disbelievingly. "Where's the meat?" Katara rolled her eyes.  
"Who are all these people?" Katara asked Kija, looking around the room in wonder. Kija shook her head, smiling a little.

"I-I don't know... But it feels like I know them somehow... Look!" She exclaimed, pointing to a stone figure with an arrow depicted on their head. "That one's an Air-Bender," she said happily. Katara turned to the statue next to the Air-Bender. "And this one's a Water-Bender!"

She quickly surveyed the room. "They're lined up in a pattern- air, water, earth, fire," she said, pointing to one statue after another. "That's the Avatar cycle!" Kija realized suddenly. Katara smiled. "Of course! They're Avatars! They're your past lives, Kija," Kija looked around in astonishment. "Wow... There's so many..."

Sokka crossed his arms and snorted. "Past lives? Katara, you really believe in that stuff?" Kija moved towards the statue at the end of the spiral, a Fire-Bender, she realized, noting the hairstyle. "It's true," she heard Katara argue from behind her. "When the Avatar dies, they're reincarnated to the next nation in the cycle."

Kija stared deep into the eyes of the statue, feeling herself drifting off, as if into a trance. A name floated around in her head, just out of her reach.

"Kija, snap out of it!" She was forced out of her trance as Katara shook her shoulder. Kija closed her eyes. "Huh?"

She opened her eyes again, and Katara asked, "Who is that?" Kija smiled and stated surely, "that's Avatar Roku, the Avatar before me."

Sokka walked up behind them. "You were a Fire-Bender in a past life? No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met," he said, shaking his head.

Katara looked over the statue intently before asking Kija, "there's no writing... How did you know his name?" Sokka crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, looking suspiciously at Kija. She shrugged. "I'm not really sure... I just... Know it somehow," Sokka groaned. "You just couldn't get any weirder," he grumbled.  
Suddenly, a sound echoed through the room, and the trio stiffened, turning around. A shadow could be seen from where they were, and it bobbed closer and closer. "Fire-Bender," Sokka warned as they ducked behind the statues. "Don't make a sound."  
"You're making a sound!" Katara hissed, and both Kija and Sokka hushed her quietly.  
Sokka held his club tightly in his hands. "That Fire-Bender won't know what hit him," he whispered. He narrowed his eyes, and leapt out from behind the statue, ready to swing his club.  
A skinny lemur looked up at him innocently. Kija leaned out from behind the statue. "Lemur!" She cried out excitedly. "Dinner," Sokka mumbled, his hand clutching his stomach. "Don't listen to him. You're gonna be my new pet," Kija said eagerly. "Not if I get him first!" Sokka challenged, m rushing forward. The lemur tensed, and darted away. "Wait! Come back!" Kija called. "I wanna eat you!"'Sokka yelled out.

The two ran through the temple hallways, and Sokka swept out his club, trying to knock Kija over. She laughed, and jumped onto the wall, using airbending to run sideways, passing Sokka smoothly. She sent a ball of air rushing towards him, knocking him off his feet. Sokka's hood fell over his head, and he groaned.

Kija chased the lemur out onto a balcony, where it jumped out into the air, flying downwards. Kija laughed, and climbed over the railing of the balcony, jumping off happily, the wind tangling her hair and making her squint her eyes as she leapt from rock to rock down the mountainside.

Zuko didn't look up when Zhao strode confidently through the flaps of the tent. "My search party is ready," he stated. "Once I am out to sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship, and you'll be free to go." Zuko's golden eyes darted to the side. "Why," he asked, jerking his head around to meet Zhao's smug gaze. "Are you afraid I'm going to try and stop you?"  
Zhao chuckled cruelly. "You? Stop me? Impossible," he said scornfully.  
Zuko lurched to his feet, glaring at the older man hatefully. "Don't underestimate me Zhao, I will capture the Avatar before you!"  
Iroh put a warning hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Prince Zuko! That's enough!" He barked.  
"You can't compete with me," Zhao taunted cruelly, his eyes cold. "I have hundreds of warships under my command. And you... You're just a banished prince," he said dismissively. "No home; no allies; your own father doesn't even want you."  
"You're wrong," Zuko muttered through gritted teeth. "Once I capture the Avatar, my father will welcome me home with honor," he spat. "And he will restore my rightful place on the throne."  
Zhao narrowed his eyes as a smirk grazed his lips. "If your father really wanted you home, he would've let you return by now; Avatar, or no Avatar," he stated coldly. "But in his eyes, you are a failure, and a disgrace to the Fire Nation."  
"That's not true," Zuko snarled, but there was a glimmer of doubt in his eyes.  
"You have the scar to prove it," Zhao said indifferently.  
Zuko shot to his feet, only inches away from the commander. "We'll maybe you'd like one to match," he growled, his face twisted with rage.  
"Is that a challenge?" Zhao scoffed.  
Zuko stood toe to toe with the older man. "An Agni-Kai," he spat. "At sunset."  
Zhao backed away, clasping his hands behind his back. "Very well. It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you," he mocked. "I guess Your uncle will do," he finished, turning and walking away.  
"Prince Zuko," his uncle chided, "have you forgotten what happened the last time you dueled a master?"  
Zuko's eyes narrowed, his scarred face an emotionless mask. "I will never forget."

The lemur sat in an overgrown courtyard, and Kija unsuccessfully tried to sneak up on it. "Hey! Come back!" She cried out as the creature darted through tattered purple drapes that hung from the doorway to an old building. She pushed the ratty curtains aside. "Come on out, little lemur! That hungry guy won't bother you any more." Her eyes scanned the room, landing on the skeletal forms along the sides of the walls, the bones draped in Fire Nation armor.

"Fire-Benders? They were here?" Her voice shook as she reluctantly turned her head, to take in the rest of the room. Her gaze fell on an Air-Bender skeleton, and her head clouded with pain. There, on the tattered, dirtied yellow robes, was a simple wooden necklace with the Air-Bender symbol, and two tassels on the sides. Her body slumped to the floor.

"Gyatso..." Tears dripped down her face, and a scream of pure pain and sadness tore itself from her throat as she came to realize: the Fire Nation had killed all of them. Everyone she knew and loved was dead. And it was all her fault. If she had... If she had done something, maybe they'd be alive. She felt a hand on her shoulder, heard Sokka's voice in her ear. She couldn't express the agony tearing through her soul, and another earsplitting scream echoed through the room before everything went white. 

Katara walked slowly through the halls of statues, wondering where her brother and Kija were. She came to a stop in front of the life size depiction of Avatar Roku. The statue's eyes began to glow a brilliant blue-white, like when Kija had been in the Avatar State. The statues around the room began to light up one by one. Katara's eyes widened. "Kija!" She said to herself, turning and running out the door. 

"Kija! Come on!" Sokka yelled, as the girl rose up, her eyes and tattoos glowing white. A whirlwind began to form around her, debris and dust flying into the air. "Snap out of it!" He tried to move towards Kija, but a strong gust of wind blew him backwards as she began to rise up off the floor and burst through the ceiling. Katara struggled through the gale to Sokka's side.

"What happened?" She had to yell to be heard over the roaring winds. "She found out Fire-Benders killed the Air-Benders!" Sokka replied. Katara's eyes widened. "Oh no! It's her avatar state! She must've triggered it! I'm going to try to calm her down!" She began to inch towards Kija, her hands up to shield her face. "Well hurry up, before she blows us off the mountain!" Sokka was clinging to a piece of rubble as the gale picked up. 

"Prince Zuko... Remember your firebending basics," Iroh reminded. "They are your greatest weapons."  
Zuko rose up from a kneeling position, shedding the sleeveless jacket he wore. "I refuse to let him win," he said determinedly, turning to face Zhao.  
"This will be over quickly," the older man stated darkly, moving into a bending stance as a gong sounded, signaling the fighters to begin.

Zuko began the fight by throwing a powerful punch, flames billowing out from his fist. Zhao sidestepped the blow easily, and another fireball was already rocketing towards him. He quickly dodged to the side, and stopped the following fire blast with his bare arms, smiling smugly. Zhao took this opportunity to go on the offensive, leaning down with his hands pressed together, a stream of fire pouring out from his fingertips. The fire ceased, and he straightened up.

"Basics, Zuko! Break his root!" Iroh called from the sidelines. A ball of flame rocketed towards Zuko, knocking him back a few inches. Another fireball followed, that Zuko blocked with his hands, sending him sliding back again. A burst of fire came barreling towards him, knocking him off his feet. Zhao ran towards him, his fist positioned in front of the young prince's face. A flame began to pour out of his fist, but Zuko quickly hooked his leg around the commander's ankle, knocking him off balance as he jumped to his feet. A small smirk flashed across the scarred prince's face as he slid his foot along the ground, flames licking at Zhao's legs as he reeled backwards. A sharp kick sent the commander tumbling backwards, landing with a groan in the dirt. Zuko approached him warily, ready to claim his victory.

"Do it!" Zhao growled. Zuko snarled, launching a fireball past Zhao's shoulder. A plume of smoke rose from the charred earth.

"That's it?" A scowl marred Zhao's face as he spoke. "Your father raised a coward." Zuko stood tall, unfazed.

"Next time you get in my way, I promise, I won't hold back," he said darkly, turning his back on the man lying in the dirt. Zhao stood up, furious. An enraged yell echoed around the sparring ring as Zhao sent a burst of flame towards the prince's turned back. Iroh leapt forward, catching the commander's foot and sending him sliding backwards.  
Zuko started towards him with a snarl, but Iroh caught him by the shoulders.

"No, Prince Zuko," he chided. "Do not taint your victory." He turned Zhao, lying in the dirt. "And this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat?" He said scornfully. "Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you."

A small smile lingered on his face. "Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious," he said, turning to leave.  
As they walked out of the door of the sparring area, Zuko asked, "did you really mean that, Uncle?" A small smile played at his features and her replied,. "Of course. I told you ginseng tea was my favorite."

"Kija, I know you're upset," Katara yelled over the wind as she clung to a rock, "and I know it's hard to lose the people you love! I went through the same thing when I lost my mom."  
Katara dug her hands into the rock as the wind picked up, her hair tangling behind her in the gale.  
"Monk Gyatso and the other Air-Benders may be gone," she continued, "but you still have a family! Sokka and I! We're your family now."  
Katara and Sokka began to stand up as Kija lowered down to earth, the wind dying down. Her feet touched the rocky ground, and the gale disappeared completely  
"Katara and I aren't gonna let anything happen to you," Sokka said as he approached the young Air-Bender, whose eyes were still glowing. "Promise."  
Kija stood still, and the glow began to fade. She fell to her knees, her eyes shut tight. "I'm sorry."  
"It's okay," Katara said forgivingly, laying a hand on the Air-Bender girl's back to comfort her. "It wasn't your fault."  
"But you were right," she said despondently, "and if the Fire-Benders found this temple, that means they found the other ones, too." Kija's eyes clenched shut momentarily. When her eyes reopened, there was a sharp gleam of angry determination to make the Fire-Benders pay. "I really am the last Air-Bender."

Before leaving the Southern Air Temple, Kija decided to visit the Air Temple Sanctuary one last time. She stood motionless in front of the statue of Roku, staring into his stone eyes. "Everything's packed," Katara said as she walked up behind her, her hand folded in her parka. "Are you ready to go?" She questioned.  
"How is Roku supposed to help me if I can't talk to him," Kija asked no one in particular.  
"Maybe you'll find a way," Katara reasoned optimistically, looking up at the statue of the past Avatar.  
A familiar noise sounded from behind them, and Kija turned to see the lemur standing in the doorway.  
The little creature scampered over to Sokka, dropping an armful of fruit at his feet, that Sokka eagerly began to devour.  
"Looks like you made a new friend, Sokka! " Kija said with a small smile. Sokka continued to eat the pile of fruit with vigor. "Can't talk, must eat," he mumbled with a full mouth.  
Kija laughed as the small lemur leapt onto her shoulder, it's tail wrapping around her head. "Hey, little guy," she said affectionately as the group started the descent from the temple.

"You, me, and Appa," Kija said sadly, her hand on the sky bison, and he lemur on her shoulder as she gazed at the empty, lifeless temple. "We're all that's left of this place," she murmured. "We have to stick together," she said, smiling at the lemur, who she had yet to name.  
"Katara? Sokka?" She called to the siblings, who were busy packing. "Say hello to the newest member of our family."  
"What're you gonna name him?" Katara asked as Kija walked towards the duo, the lemur perched on her arm.  
Suddenly, the small creature leapt from her arm, stealing a peach that Sokka was about to eat right out of his hand.  
"Momo," she decided with a smile, as Katara chuckled at Sokka's stunned expression. 

The sun was setting by the time the trio boarded Appa, and disappeared behind the mountains as they flew off. Kija leaned back out of the saddle, her eyes trained on the temple that grew smaller and smaller in the distance.

She kept her gaze locked on the turrets and spiraling towers until clouds blocked them from view. Only then did she hesitantly turn back around, head bowed. "I will make it up to you, Gyatso," she thought to herself. "I'm sorry." 


	4. Chapter 4: The Warriors Of Kyoshi

Chapter Four: The Warriors of Kyoshi

Zuko sat on the floor, his legs crossed, meditating. In front of him was a low table, holding four candles. The flickering flame atop each candle grew and shrank as Zuko breathed.  
The door opened with a creak, and Iroh poked his head in. "The only reason you should be interrupting me if is you have news of the Avatar," Zuko said, his voice icily calm.  
Iroh pushed the door open further, taking a few steps into the room, pulling a scroll out from the folds of his robe. He glanced down at the scroll. "There is news, Prince Zuko. But you might not like it," Iroh answered. "Don't get too upset."  
"Uncle, you told me keeping a level head is a sign of a great leader. Now whatever you have to say, I'm sure I can take it." Zuko's voice remained level as he spoke.  
Iroh shrugged. "Okay then. We have no idea where she is." He held up his arm to shield his face from the flames that rose from the melted wax of the candles as Zuko's disbelieving "what?!" echoed around the room.  
Iroh pulled a fan out from inside his sleeve, snapping it open deftly and fanning away the smoke as the flames died down. "You really should open a window," he commented.  
Zuko leapt to his feet, his hands clenched into fists. "Give me the map," he demanded, snatching the scroll from his uncle's hand.

"Well, there have been many sightings of the Avatar, but she is impossible to track down," Iroh explained as Zuko unrolled the parchment, glancing over the dots strewn haphazardly across the map that indicated where the Avatar had been seen.

"How am I going to find her, Uncle?" He asked, his shoulders slumped and a worried crease in his brow. "She is clearly a master of evasive maneuvering."

* * * * * *

Sokka studied the map, lifting one eyebrow to glance at Kija, who sat happily in front of the saddle, Appa's reins in her hands. "You have no idea where we're going, do you," he asked drily.  
"Well, I know it's near water," she said sheepishly, glancing down at the vast ocean spreading out like a carpet underneath them.  
"I guess we're getting close then," Sokka replied sarcastically.  
Kija looked up at Katara, who was sitting relaxed in the front of the saddle, stitching up a hole in Sokka's pants.  
"Momo, marbles please," Kija asked, and the small creature reached into her pocket, pulling out a few marbles and placing them in her outstretched hand.

"Check out this airbending trick, Katara," she said excitedly, an expectant smile on her face as the marbles began to spin around in her hand.  
"That's great," she said offhandedly, concentrating on her sewing. Kija's pale face twisted into a frown, and the marbles fell into her palm. "You didn't even look," she said dejectedly.  
Katara looked up from the fabric in her hands, a fake smile on her tanned face. "That's great, Kija," she said with forced enthusiasm.  
Kija crossed her arms and sighed. "But I'm not doing it now," she complained.  
"Stop bugging her, airhead. You should know not to bug girls when they're doing their sewing," Sokka commented offhandedly.

Katara's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What does me being a girl have to do with sewing?" Kija frowned, lifting an eyebrow. Sokka waved his hand dismissively. "Simple. Girls are better at fixing pants than guys, and guys are better at hunting and fighting, stuff like that. It's just the natural order of things," he said, shrugging. Kija laughed.

"Sokka, you do realize that I can't sew, and I fight better than you?" A smirk appeared on her face. Sokka glared at the girl. "Well that's just not normal then. Katara isn't gonna be a warrior for example," he said, leaning back against the saddle.

Katara suddenly sat up straighter, a big, fake smile on her face. "All done with your pants! And look what a great job I did!" She pulled at the fabric, revealing a large hole in the back. She tossed the cloth at Sokka, hitting him in the face.  
"Wait! I can't wear these," he sputtered, pulling the clothing off of his face. "Katara, please!"  
Kija giggled, yanking on Appa's reins.

"Relax, Sokka," she said, laughing. "Where we're going, you won't need pants!" Sokka looked at her, bewildered as Appa made a steep descent towards a small island in the middle of the ocean.

"We just made a pit stop yesterday," Sokka pointed out as he slid off of Appa's back, stretching. "Shouldn't we get some more flying done before we camp out?" He looked questioningly at Kija, who was searching the water.

"He's right," Katara added. "At this rate, we won't get to the North Pole till spring!"  
"But Appa's tired already," Kija argued, nudging the bison who snorted unconvincingly. She nudged him again, and he gave an over exaggerated yawn.  
"Very convincing," Sokka commented drily. "Still, hard to argue with a ten-ton magical monster."  
Kija flashed a smile, pointing at the ocean. "Look!" A massive, red-orange koi jumped out of the water. "Elephant koi," she explained. "And I'm gonna ride them!" Kija began to run towards the water, an excited grin on her face.  
"Wait!" Katara cried out. "Aren't you going to take off your Air-Bender uniform so it doesn't get wet?" Kija gulped nervously, the smile disappearing as her face paled. "I-I can dry myself with airbending," she said quickly, wasting no time jumping into the foam-capped water.

"Cold!" She yelled, shivering slightly as she swam towards the shadowy figures of the koi in the water.  
Sokka glanced at his younger sister, confused. She shrugged, turning back to watch the Air-Bender girl dive underwater.  
Kija resurfaced, clinging to the fin of an immense koi, laughing as water sprayed up around her.  
An amazed grin spread across Katara's tanned face as she watched Kija disappear back underwater, resurfacing again on the other side of the secluded cove. Kija waved at the siblings on the beach, a wide smile on her face. Katara cheered as the koi dove back into the salty waters, and Sokka shrugged disinterestedly.  
"She looks pretty good out there," Katara commented. Sokka stood still, his arms crossed, and rolled his eyes.  
"Are you kidding? The fish is doing all the work," he said, unimpressed. Katara's gaze shifted from the pale Air-Bender girl to the giant sky bison.  
"No, Appa! Don't eat that!" She scolded, running off to shoo the bison away from the plant he was trying to devour.  
Kija turned toward the shore, grinning, the wind making her squint.  
"Sokka! Check this out," she called, waving to the Water Tribe boy with one hand. Sokka glanced in her direction reluctantly. "No hands," she yelled, letting to of the creature's fin and using airbending to balance on the back of the koi, her hands up. "Woohoo!" She cried out, her hair tangling in the wind.  
Sokka's eyes widened, catching sight of a large shadow weaving its way towards the group of koi- towards Kija  
"There's something in the water!" He cried out, leaning forward anxiously as one of the koi fish was pulled backwards, disappearing into the water. Katara burst out of the bushes, skidding to a stop next to Sokka.  
"What's wrong?" She asked, concerned.  
"Kija's in trouble," he said, a crease appearing in his brow. "KIJA!" He yelled, waving his arms, trying to catch the girl's attention.  
"Get back here Kija!" Katara screamed, gesturing wildly for the girl to come back to shore. Kija glanced at the siblings, confused.  
"Ahh!" She cried out in surprise as the koi she was riding lurched backwards, struggling uselessly as it was dragged under the waves. She was thrown into the air, landing with a splash.  
Katara and Sokka watched as a massive, grey, spiny fin appeared in the water behind the girl, casting a shadow over the water. She turned around cautiously, her mouth dropping open. Her legs began to move, and a blast of air helped her to rocket toward the shore, sea spray flying up behind her. The gray-purple fin began to gain on her as she raced for the shore.  
Sokka yelled in surprise as the girl barreled into him, knocking him backwards.

The creature reared it's scaly head, opening it's mouth to spray water towards the trio, before dissapearing under the waves.  
Katara ran towards the two, a worried expression on her face. "What was that thing?" She asked as Kija stood up. Kija took a deep breath, clenching her fists, and a gust of air dried her, Katara and Sokka instantly.  
"I have no idea," she answered, shivering. "But that was a close call."  
Sokka rubbed his head, clambering to his feet. He dusted off his hands, and said decisively, "Well, lets not stick around to find out. Time to hit the road."  
A look of surprise spread across Kija's pale face as a group of green-clad figures leapt down from the trees, surrounding them in an instant. Sokka was pulled backwards by a pair of gloved hands. Katara's parka hood was forced over her head, and both siblings were tossed down, blindfolded and with arms and legs tied.

Kija was locked in close combat with one of the warriors, her eyes narrowed as she blocked a sneaky punch to her throat. Kija lifted her arm, intending to jab her opponent in the neck with her elbow, but the warrior darted past her weakened defense, hitting her quickly in the stomach. "Ooof," she gasped as the breath was knocked out of her. "You're pretty good," she complimented as she was tossed to the ground, blindfolded and tied.

"I guess we're staying for a while," Sokka commented sarcastically from somewhere to her left. "I guess we are," Kija sighed as she was hauled unceremoniously to her feet.

"You three have some explaining to do," a deep, gravelly male voice said from in front of the trio, who had been tied to a pole.

"And if you don't answer all our questions, we'll throw you back in the water, with the Unagi," a higher, female voice finished.  
"So... I take it the Unagi is the big fish-serpent thing?" Kija asked mildly, unfazed by the fact she was tied to a pole. "Yes," the female voice responded curtly.  
"Show yourselves, cowards!" Sokka demanded, irritated that they had been captured.  
"Who are you?" He asked, after the heavy, black cloth had been removed from their eyes, revealing a group of young women dressed in earthen green warrior uniforms, their faces painted. "Where are the men who ambushed us?"  
"There were no men," a girl with shoulder length auburn hair snapped, pointing her finger at the bemused Sokka. "We ambushed you. Now tell us: who are you, and why are you here?"  
"Wait a second,"Sokka scoffed defiantly. "There's no way a bunch of girls took us down."  
The auburn-haired girl, who Kija realized must be the leader, grabbed the neck of Sokka's parka, a scowl marring her painted face. "A bunch of girls, huh? The unagi will eat well tonight."  
"No! Don't hurt him," Katara objected. "My brother's just an idiot sometimes," she apologized.  
The girl reluctantly let the blue fabric fall from her hand, and Sokka frowned.  
"It's my fault we came here," Kija spoke up, drawing the attention away from the siblings. "I wanted to ride the elephant koi," she explained apologetically.  
"How do we know you're not Fire Nation spies," a gray haired older man said angrily, pointing an accusing finger at the trio. "Kyoshi has stayed out of the war so far, and we intend to keep it that way!"  
Kija perked up, her eyes widening in surprise. "This island is named for Kyoshi?" She asked excitedly. "I know Kyoshi!"  
The gray haired man scoffed disbelievingly, his voice unkind, "How could you possibly know her? Avatar Kyoshi was born here 400 years ago. She's been dead for centuries!"  
Kija glanced away for a second before turning to meet the man's steely blue gaze. "I know her because... I'm the Avatar," she said, her voice soft.  
"That's impossible," the auburn haired warrior girl snapped, her fist clenched. "The last Avatar was an Air-Bender that disappeared a hundred years ago!"  
Kija's shoulders slumped, her face clouded with mixed emotions. "Yeah... that's me," she said dejectedly.  
The older man's eyes narrowed, distrust written plainly on his face. "Throw the impostors to the Unagi," he commanded, his tone leaving room for no argument.  
The female warriors approached the trio warily,each girl swiftly snapping open two gold-plaited fans.  
Without a word, a gust of air tore off Kija's bindings, and she flew up the pole, coming to a gentle drop on the other side. Her bending was met with a chorus of amazed gasps.  
"It's true," the older man murmured, his eyes wide in surprise. "You are the Avatar."  
Kija crossed her arms, sticking out her lower lip. "I'm annoyed you didn't believe me," she teased.  
"I'm so sorry, Avatar," the older man began to apologize, his brow creased in worry.  
Kija waved him off, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm joking, I'm joking! Sheesh!" The older man smiled thinly, before bowing towards the Avatar.  
She inclined her head respectfully in return and said honestly, "It's an honor to be here." 

"The Avatar's on Kyoshi Island?" Zuko exclaimed as a crew member delivered the news, as well as his dinner. He leapt to his feet, turning to the relaxed Iroh.

"Uncle, ready the rhinos," he commanded as he stalked towards the door. "She's not getting away from me this time," he promised darkly.  
Iroh motioned to the platter, a well-cooked fish steaming on top of a bed of greens. "Are you going to finish that?" He asked.  
"I was going to save it for later!" Zuko snapped, annoyed. He turned back to the table, snatching up the warm plate and stalking off. Iroh glared at the table, his arms crossed, and his bottom lip stuck out as he pouted.

"Uhm... Dessert for breakfast?" Kija raised an eyebrow at the wide assortment of pastries spread over the table. She took a seat next to Katara and shrugged. "One day can't hurt," she reasoned before picking up a frosted cake and biting into it, the fruity center bursting open in her mouth.

"Mm... You have to try this," she groaned through a mouthful of food. "Well... Maybe just a bite," Katara allowed. The girl's eyes widened as she took a bite of the frosted fruit dessert.

"Told you it was good," Kija said with a grin, her hand hovering over a tray of pale yellow sponge cakes, filled with rich cream. She made up her mind, grabbing one of the cakes and shoving it into her mouth. "Mmmm..." She said with her mouth full of pastry. She finished the small cake, and noticed Sokka sitting in the corner, his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms crossed.

"Sokka? What's your problem? Eat," she suggested, tossing a flaky pastry towards him. The dessert hit the boy in the head and landed unnoticed on the floor.

"Not hungry," he muttered. Kija looked at the sulking young man in surprise. "But you're always hungry," she said, chucking another dessert towards him, that landed in his lap.

"He's just upset that a bunch of girls kicked his butt yesterday," Katara teased smugly.  
"They snuck up on me!" Sokka protested, beginning to stand up, glaring indignantly at his younger sibling.  
"Right," Katara proceeded, her tone mocking. "And then they kicked your butt."  
Sokka shot to his feet, embarrassed. "Sneak attacks don't count!" He snapped.  
"Aw, it's okay," Kija said sympathetically. "They kicked my butt too." Sokka glared at her and she shrugged, resuming her breakfast.

"Tie me up with ropes," he muttered as he walked towards the table. "I'll show them a thing or two... I'm not scared of any girls," he ranted, pausing to scoop up some pastries. He shoved a few in his mouth as he stalked towards the door. "Mm, this is tasty," he mumbled as he left the room.  
"Serves him right," Kija chuckled after the Water Tribe boy had left. The two sat in companionable silence for a few moments. "I really like it here," Kija said finally, swallowing the last of her pastry.

"Hey, don't get too comfortable," Katara warned. "We can't stay in one place very long."  
"Aww, but look how happy I made this town. And I really wanna train with the Kyoshi Warriors," she complained, looking at Katara with pleading eyes. Katara sighed in defeat. "Fine," she said begrudgingly. "But don't let all the attention to to your head," she added as an afterthought. Kaija shrugged off her warning. "Believe me, it won't." She stood up, stretching with a groan as her back cracked, before strolling leisurely towards the window, only to be met with a cheering crowd. She rolled her eyes and walked downstairs.

"I'm gonna try and sneak out," she cried back to Katara.

Midday found Kija amidst a forest of pine, her footsteps crunching on the snow. The Kyoshi Warriors' training but appeared over a rise, the thatched roof the first thing she saw. Kija climbed over the hill, catching sight of the auburn-haired girl next to the door.

"Hey," she called out, waving. The girl turned around, her stance wary. She relaxed, seeing it was the Avatar.

"Hello," she said formally. Kija approached her, climbing over the rocks dusted in snow. "I'm Kija," she said, her voice friendly. "I'm Suki," the auburn haired girl replied, a smile on her painted face.

"So..." Kija sighed. "I was wondering if you'd let me train with the Kyoshi Warriors..." She asked, shifting her weight uncomfortably. The smile didn't fade from Suki's face, and she replied, "of course! You're just in time for our first session. From sparring with you before, I can tell already that you'll catch on easily enough." Kija grinned happily, nearly jumping up and down in excitement. "Great! So can I start now?" Suki laughed at her impatience. She put a hand on Kija's back, and guided her into the building. "You'll need a uniform first..."

Minutes later, Kija was dressed in a dark green warrior uniform, complete with white face paint, arcs of red and black above her eyes. "So what is your style based on?" She asked as Suki began to stretch, motioning for her to do the same.

"It's not about strength, of that's what you're wondering," Suki replied as she leaned down to touch the ground. "It's about exploiting weak points in an opponent's form and using their weight and strength against them." Kija's eyes widened in recognition.

"So like airbending, in a way." Suki nodded as she straightened up, pulling her arm back behind her head. "Yeah. It's similar," she acknowledged. "Alright, time to go join the rest of the group," Suki said with a grin as she straightened up. "I'll get you some spare fans and we'll be ready to go!"

Sokka trudged up the snowy path, grumbling. "...can't believe I got beat up by a bunch of girls," he muttered as he approached the door to the dojo. Sokka peeked in the doorway, a slight smirk playing at his features. The young man entered the hut confidently, holding his hands up in apology.

"Sorry ladies, I didn't mean to interrupt your dance lesson," he said haughtily.

"Sokka?" A familiar voice rang out. One of the green clad warriors relaxed their stance, smiling at him. "Kija?" He asked, his tone disbelieving. "What are you doing here?"

Kija shrugged nonchalantly, her fan snapping shut in one deft movement. "Training," was her simple reply. "What are you doing here?"

Sokka took a few small steps into the barely furnished training dojo, stretching as he spoke. "Oh y'know, just looking for a place to get a good workout," he answered. Suki raised a questioning eyebrow at Kija, and she shrugged. `

Suki's stance relaxed as well, and the other warrior girls followed suit. "Well, you've come to the right place," she stated as Sokka reached down to touch the floor. "And sorry about yesterday, I didn't know you were friends with the Avatar," she added apologetically. Sokka smiled confidently as he began to stretch his arms.

"Well, usually I'd hold a grudge, but seeing as you guys are a bunch of girls, I'll make an exception," he drawled. Suki looked at Sokka with wide eyes, her hand on her hips. "I should hope so," she said with blatant sarcasm. "A big, strong man like you? We wouldn't stand a chance." Sokka rolled his neck, unbeknownst to the girl's sarcasm. "True," he said, a condescending smirk on his tan face, "but don't feel bad... After all, I am the best warrior in my village," he boasted, crossing his arms smugly. Kija giggled from behind Suki, but quickly masked the laugh with a cough. "Best warrior, huh?" Suki leant forward, laying on the flattery. "In your whole village? Would you be kind enough to give us a demonstration?" Sokka's smirk was instantly wiped off his face, and he looked at the group of girls with wide eyes. "Oh... Well, I mean- I..." He stammered. Suki turned to the girls, her voice sickly sweet, "c'mon girls... Wouldn't you like him to show us some moves?"

The Kyoshi Warriors all nodded, except Kija, who shook her head. "Well, if that's what you want, id be happy to," Sokka said nonchalantly, his air of superiority regained. He strolled over to Suki, pushing her back a few steps.

"Alright. You stand over there," he said as he backed up. "Now, this may be a little tough," he said as he positioned himself into a lopsided fighting stance, "but try to block me." He stepped forward, readying his fist. Before he even made contact, Suki's metal fan hit him squarely in the shoulder. He backed up again, laughing uncertainly. "Good," he said, surprised. "Of course, I was going easy on you."  
"Of course," Suki replied, mocking Sokka's smug tone.  
"Let's see if you can handle this!" Sokka yelled, swinging his leg up in a sloppy kick, his arms limp at his sides. Suki quickly ducked under his leg, knocking him into the air with her arm.  
She stood up, unfazed, and snapped her fan open, looking down at Sokka, who was sprawled out on the ground.  
Kija shook her head frantically, trying to signal Sokka to stop. The Water Tribe boy's eyes narrowed and he began to stand up.

"That does it!" He snapped, before charging forward, his arm extended. Suki cooly grabbed his arm, one hand pressed into his shoulder, and began to spin him in a circle. She moved her hand to the top of his arm, and began to swing him the other way, she held on to his wrist with one hand as her other hand deftly pulled off his belt. She quickly tied the cloth belt securely around his wrist and his ankle, before letting him go. Sokka hopped forward a few steps, falling on his face with a thump, an embarrassed blush on his cheeks.

"Anything else you want to show us?" Suki teased, her hands on her hips as the other Kyoshi Warriors giggled, standing around his prone form. Kija stepped forward, her arms crossed.

"I told you, Sokka," she scolded as the young man looked up at the girls with wide, humiliated eyes. She reached down, untying the belt around his arm and leg, and hauling him unceremoniously to his feet. "Now shoo," she said, a small smile ghosting over her lips as she tossed the belt towards his retreating figure.

Katara stood in the quiet marketplace, the afternoon sun warm on her face. Her hands moved deliberately over the assortment of greens, picking the ripe vegetables up and placing them in a woven basket. She heard footsteps behind her, and turned to see Sokka, trudging through the streets, his shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"Sokka!" She called out, waving him over. She picked up the heavy, bulky basket, and asked, "can you help me carry this back to the room? It's kind of heavy."

Sokka raised his head to look at his younger sister. "Can't..." He grunted. Katara raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean you can't?" She asked disbelievingly. Sokka looked away, a faint blush on his cheeks. "Gotta go back to Kyoshi Warriors... Ask something," he muttered, embarrassed.

Katara smiled knowingly. "Ah. I get it," she said smugly, crossing her arms. "The GIRLS beat you, didn't they." Sokka didn't reply, he just kept trudging down towards the village. "I don't wanna talk about it," he grumbled. "I just wanna get some lunch." Katara smirked, watching her older brother's retreating form. "Maybe this'll make him less sexist," she thought to herself as she hoisted up the heavy basket, filled to the brim with supplies for their trip.

Kija watched Suki as she shifted from a horse stance to a forward stance, extending her arm, fan in hand. She followed suit, her stance strong and sturdy.

"More fluid," Suki instructed to her as she walked around the group of girls. "This isn't about strength, remember?" Kija nodded and relaxed her form slightly as she moved into the next stance. Suki resumed her place in the front of the group as they moved into a lunge. A voice piped up from the door to the dojo, and Kija's stance faltered.

"Uh, hey... Suki," Sokka greeted nervously. Suki stood up, her hands on her hips, and the rest of the warriors followed suit. "Hoping for another dance lesson?" She asked, her tone teasing. "No, I uh... Well- let me explain," Sokka said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.  
Suki's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. "Spit it out," she demanded. "What do you want?" Sokka met the girl's gray-brow glare, his brow furrowed anxiously. He took a deep breath, and bowed his head, falling to his knees.

"I would be honored... If you would teach me," he said humbly.  
Suki raised her painted eyebrows questioningly. "Even if I'm a girl?" She snarked. Sokka didn't raise his head, his eyes glancing to the side.  
"I'm sorry if I insulted you earlier," he said sincerely. "I was... Wrong." Suki's reply was indecisive. "We normally don't teach outsiders, let alone boys." Sokka glanced up at the girl and practically begged, "please make an exception." He looked down at the floor. "I won't let you down." Suki thought for a moment, before giving a small nod. A smirk formed on her painted face, and she answered, "alright... But you have to follow all of our traditions." Sokka straightened up and met her unwavering gaze, replying quickly, "of course." The smirk on her face became more prominent as she added, "and I mean all of them."

Sokka stood in the dark green warrior outfit that the girls had forced him into, his face painted white, black and red. "Do I really have to wear this?" Sokka asked. "It seems a little... Girly." His shoulders slumped.

Suki stood a little ways away, her arms folded behind her back. A small smile played on her lips, and she replied, "it's a warrior's uniform. You should be proud." Sokka glanced down at his outfit as she spoke. "The silk thread symbolizes the brave blood that flows through our veins. The gold insignia, represents the honor of the warrior's heart." Sokka began to smile, straightening up proudly and placing his hands on his hips. "Bravery and honor," he repeated.

Kija smiled mischievously, and piped up, "Yep, it's not any dress, it's a fighting dress!" Suki giggled, and Sokka sulked once more.

Katara sat in the hut, a small bowl of water in front of her. The late afternoon sun shone through the window as she practiced her waterbending technique, a tendril of liquid swaying back and forth with her movements. A sudden noise from in the foyer caused her to lose her focus, and the rope of water fell back in the bowl with a splash.

"Who's there?" She called, surprise in her voice. A reassuring call answered her. "It's me," Kija yelled as she took off her shoes, walking into the living room. "

How's training?" She asked politely as Katara refocused her attention the the small wooden bowl. "Good... I'm not really doing much now, but later I'm planning on going down to the lake to work on a wave that I'm trying to make," Katara answered absentmindedly. "That's great!" Kija said, a smile on her pale face. "I'm just gonna grab some lunch, then I'm heading back to train with the Kyoshi Warriors a bit more." Kija left the room quietly, and Katara sighed, returning all her attention to her waterbending.  
Kija grabbed a roll from the table, and ran back through the living room, stuffing the bread in her mouth as she pulled on her shoes. "I'll be back later, Katara," she yelled as she bolted out the door.

"You're not gonna master it in one day," Suki commented, watching as Sokka concentrated on finishing the complicated form he had learned.  
"Even I'm not that good." He continued to move through the stances, and thrust out his arm, the fan in his grasp flying forward and crashing into a tree outside.  
"It's not... About strength," Kija panted from outside, out of breath, seeing as she had ran all the way there.  
"Correct," Suki said with a smile. "It's about using your opponent's force against them," she explained. "Think of the fan as an extension of your arm," she continued, as both her and Sokka shifted into fighting stances.  
"Wait for an opening, then..." She moved forward, aiming with the fan to get past his defense. Sokka's eyes followed her arm, and he darted out of the way at the last second, and pushed her backward. Suki landed on the hard ground with a grunt, and Sokka crossed his arms.  
"Ooh, he got you," Kija teased from the sidelines. "I fell on purpose to make you feel better," Suki protested, a blush on her painted cheeks.  
"I got you," Sokka crowed, pointing a finger at Suki. "Admit it, I got you!" Suki grabbed his finger, twisting it backwards slightly.  
"Okay, beginners luck," she allowed as Sokka tried to maneuver out of her grip. "Lets see you do it again," she challenged with a small smile. The pair began to circle each other, and Kija slid to the ground, crossing her legs, content to just watch.

Katara walked leisurely through the trees, a pattern of sunlight and darkness dappling the ground. The leaves crunched under her feet as she walked towards the shore of the lake. She emerged through a clearing, and made her way to a nice secluded spot, where only the sound of waves lapping against the shore could be heard. Katara stood on the beach, and took a deep breath before beginning the waterbending technique. Her hands rose up, a small mass of water forming a wave that splashed on the shore. Katara grinned, and set off to make a bigger wave.  
"The idea is to create a giant wave," she murmured to herself as her brow furrowed in concentration. A large surge of salt water began to rise from the surf, and Katara's hands trembled with the effort. The wave grew to a decent size before falling unsuccessfully into the ocean, leaving Katara to wipe the sweat from her brow and try again.  
The wave she conjured the third time around was almost over her head when it fell into the lake with a splash. Katara smiled, proud of herself. She sat down on the rocky shore, sweat gleaming on her forehead.  
Her training was interrupted by a foghorn that echoed through the rocks. Katara climbed over the rubble warily, her blue eyes widening at the sight of a gray, cast iron ship sailing towards the island.  
"Zuko!" She murmured, before scrambling down the rocks, intent on warning the village.

"I want the Avatar alive," Zuko ordered as he and a select number of his crew descended from the ship on the backs of giant Komodo-rhinos. Each rhino held a Fire-Bender and a spearman, who sat in the two-person saddles as the rhinos paraded towards the village.

Kija and Suki circled each other warily, their movements quick and light. Suki thrust her fan forward, only to be blocked by Kija's arm.

"That was good," she complimented sincerely. "Sokka, c'mere," she called to the young man slouched against the wall. "It's your turn." The boy stood up and stretched, before strolling over to Suki, and snapping open the golden metal fan in his hand. Suki jabbed forward with her closed fan, but Sokka swept the blow aside, darting into close range and trying to push Suki back. Suki slid to the side, and Sokka's momentum sent him sprawling on the floor. He stood up and got into a fighting stance just in time to block a thrust from Suki's fan.  
"Not bad," she said with a smile, that Sokka returned easily. The sparring session was interrupted by the old man, Oyaji. "Fire-Benders have landed on our shores," he informed them, terrified. "Girls, come quickly!"  
Kija giggled, glancing at Sokka, who, dressed in a Kyoshi Warrior uniform, looked like the other girls.  
Sokka threw his arms up in exasperation. "I am not a-" he began to protest. "Oh whatever," he grumbled, racing out the doorway after he two girls.

"Come out, Avatar!" Zuko yelled angrily, his voice echoing through the silent town. All the villagers had hidden in their huts as the rhinos stopped in front of the statue of Kyoshi.  
"You can't hide from me forever," he called out, his gaze sweeping over the few brave people looking out from doorways and behind buildings.  
"Find her," he ordered to the soldiers on the three other rhinos around him. The rhinos began to trot forward slowly, and the few braver villagers shrank back in fear.  
In the shadows, a golden fan snapped open, and one of the soldiers turned to look at the spot where a figure had been seconds ago. A form darted between two buildings, and another Fire-Bender's head snapped to the side, eyes narrowed, searching for the moving shadow.  
Suddenly, three green-clad figures leapt from the rooftops, knocking the Fire-Bender soldiers out of their saddles and onto the dirt. Another girl swiftly blocked a thrust from a spear, sending the nonbender crewman sprawling on the dirt.  
Suki ran forward towards Zuko, leaping into the air to escape a burst of flame. She began to swing her fan, aiming the hard metal at the young man's head.  
A snarl twisted Zuko's features, and the komodo-rhino he sat upon turned around, it's tail catching Suki in the stomach and knocking her to the ground. She lay in the dirt as the prince sent a ball of flame towards her head. She flinched away, feeling the heat of the fire.  
Sokka slid in front of her at the last minute, knocking away the flame with his open fan. "I guess training's over," he stated, his brow furrowing as he watched Kija leap from the roof, landing in the komodo-rhino's saddle, facing the scarred young man.  
"Why hello," she said with a grin, before blocking the punch the angry teen sent her way. She threw in a jab of her own, and zuko grabbed her wrist, trying to twist it. "Not nice," she said with a frown, before pushing him out of the saddle with her free hand, wrenching her wrist from his grasp. Sokka and Suki rushed over to help the girl as Zuko began to sit up. He looked at the group surrounding him with a scowl, and pushed himself up onto his hands, swinging his feet around, producing a ring of fire that sent Sokka and Suki flying backwards. Kija jumped up at the last second, her foot singed by the flame, using airbending to propel herself onto the roof of a nearby building. Zuko leapt forward into the middle of the village path, his fists clenched in anger.

"Nice try, Avatar. But these little girls can't save you," he said coldly. Kija smiled from her place on the rooftop. "Oh really," she called down teasingly. "I think they were doing a pretty good job roughing you up, Ponytail." Before Zuko could make a move, she jumped down from the edge of the roof, landing behind the young man. "Finally," he hissed, spinning around to face her, a jet of flame spewing from his palm. Kija flinched for a second, before quickly knocking his hand away with her own.  
"Eager to see me, are you Ponytail," she taunted, having regained her wit. She moved backwards, ducking under another blast of fire, and picking up her staff from the porch of the house she'd been staying at. She used her staff to quickly extinguish the next fireball. Her staff dropped to the ground as another burst of flame knocked it out of her grasp, and she maneuvered her way into his blind spot rather easily. She snapped open her fans, and used the metal objects to airbend a gust of wind at the quickly approaching teen. Zuko flew backwards, crashing into a door. "Well, it was nice seeing you," she called sarcastically to the pile of rubble that held the scarred young man as she grabbed her staff, which was lying on the ground, and threw it into the air, grabbing the smooth wood with her hands. She looked down at the burning houses that made up the village and her eyes widened in sadness. Even the mighty statue of Kyoshi was blackened and burnt. She caught sight of Katara, ushering the children into one of the burnt huts. Her glider arced down, and snapped shut. She fell to the ground, airbending cushioning her fall.  
"Look what I brought to this place," she snapped angrily, her voice full of contempt for herself.  
"It's not your fault," Katara said soothingly. Kija's eyes narrowed, and she turned around abruptly. "Yes it is. These people got their town destroyed trying to protect me!"  
"Then lets get out of here," Katara suggested. "Zuko will leave Kyoshi to follow us. I know it feels wrong to run, but I think it's the only way."  
Kija looked at her with wide eyes, before hanging her head in defeat.  
"I'll call Appa," she said sadly.

"There's no time to say goodbye," Suki said, glancing at Sokka with some sadness in her eyes as they crouched behind a building.  
"What about 'I'm sorry'?" Sokka asked, leaning towards her slightly.  
"For what?" Suki questioned, curious and surprised.  
"I treated you like a girl when I should've treated you like a warrior," he explained, his voice quiet.  
"I am a warrior," Suki agreed with a small smile, before leaning in to press a chaste kiss to his cheek. "But I'm a girl too."  
A blush rose in Sokka's cheeks, and he touched his cheek in surprise.  
Suki leapt to her feet, standing in the alley between two buildings. "Now get out of here," she ordered. "We'll hold them off." Suki rushed out into the main street, and didn't look back.  
"C'mon, Sokka!" Kija called from aboard Appa, having shed her Kyoshi warrior uniform. "We have to go!" She leapt back to the saddle, reaching out her hand to help pull the boy up from Appa's tail. She used airbending to propel herself through the air, landing with the reins in her grasp. "Appa, Yip-yip, Yip-yip!" She yelled desperately. The bulky sky bison took to the skies, soaring over Zuko's head and off into the skies.

Zuko glanced up as a shadow cast over his head. He caught sight of the sky bison flying off, and turned to his crew, who were not faring very well against the Kyoshi Warriors. "Back to the ship," he yelled over his shoulder as he headed back the way he had come. "Don't lose sight of them!" 

"I know it's hard, but you did the right thing," Katara said softly as she leant over the saddle. Kija nodded halfheartedly. "Yeah... Ponytail would've destroyed the whole place if we had stayed." Katara's comforting hand squeezed her shoulder. "They're gonna be okay, Kija," she murmured.  
Kija sighed dejectedly. "There's gotta be something I can- Oh!" Her eyes lit up as the idea struck her. Without another word, she leapt from the back of her bison, diving headlong into the water below her. The wind was loud in her ears, and she could barely hear Katara's scream of "what are you doing?!"

She plummeted into the icy water, disappearing for a second before emerging on the back of none other than the Unagi, her hands gripping its whiskers like they were reins. She was thrown around a few times before landing on its scaly back, pulling its whiskers back, forcing the monster's mouth open. A jet of water spewed from its mouth, raining over the village. The flames were extinguished, and the Fire Nation soldiers were drenched. A small smile flashed over her lips as the Unagi flung her off. She used a jet of airbending to send herself flying up, clinging to Appa's furry side.

"Thank you, Avatar," Oyaji said with a kindly smile as he watched the trio fly away from Kyoshi Island on Appa's back, the fires in their village now extinguished.

"I know... It was stupid and reckless," Kija said as she climbed into the saddle, sitting crosslegged between the two Water Tribe siblings, smiling. "But I had to help." Katara smiled kindly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm glad you did," she said softly, pulling her into a hug as the bison flew farther away from the island. "I'm really glad you did."


End file.
